I have purchased the following books:ABCs of Buying Rental Property The ABCs of Property Management The ABCs of Real Estate Investing The Advanced Guide to Real Estate InvestingThe Book on Investing in Real Estate with No (and Low) Money DownWhat order do you recommend reading them in?

I understand that investing is real estate is not a full-time job - for now.

Another option is to look into some funds as well that allow smaller investments. some are anywhere from 500-$10,000 minimums and accept non accredited investors (through regulation a+).If you ran numbers of a loan paying p&i at 10% but ot being able to reinvest the principal payments you realize how low your returns actually are. so yes notes are great but also understand that idle money for any investment is not fun.

Once you have a good understanding of what you can afford, reach out to your landlord in a friendly and casual way.

Look for professionals who understand the unique needs of real estate investors.

Speak with a lender now to understand your options and start building a plan.

Hello @Yvonne Wang,The scope of work should include the following:- Basic info: Property address, client name, contractor's contact info, address, license#'s, signed general/operating agreement b/w contractor and client- Specification of repairs: Repair item, Quantity of items needed, total & per unit cost of items, taxes (if applicable), Completion hours, title of the person responsible for the repair item, written summary describing the work- Add'l info: Schedule of repairs, additional payment schedule details i.e. disbursement schedule, method of disbursement, deposits, holdback amounts, etc.The screenshot below highlights a couple of repair items.

She spent the following month looking for a new place and couldn't believe the ridiculous rents out there.  

Adding and making better could sell or rent faster, but it won't get you more than what the market ARV and rent is set at from other similar comps in the area....and your Interior Design background will help, if you you it mostly as an understanding of cost. 

The irony is most who post in these forums about entity formation and asset protection are solely concerned with preparedness for when claims arise without understanding the true ramifications, don't know the difference between being a certificate holder and additional insured status,  what indemnification means etc.