But I think any experienced investor would agree that if you aren't doing value-add when it comes to real estate investing, you aren't actually investing.

In Ohio we just consider wholesaling brokering real estate.

All being said, most real estate investors advocate that the earlier you can take action and acquire your first deal, the quicker you'll learn.

Personally if you are looking to grow in real estate going the traditional method/way of getting good properties under agreement with traditional financing will get you to where you want to go faster than trying to find all the needles in a haystack.

Or like many small in businesses you raise cash from friends family and anyone else that knows loves and trusts you.The other thing I suggest is to make that $27,000 or $37000, or $50000 yourself over the next year. 

I am also a huge fan of real estate and for the past 50 years there's been a way to combine both.By leveraging a Self-Directed IRA, real estate investors enjoy both the traditional advantages of property ownership and the additional tax benefits of retirement accounts, creating a powerful wealth-building strategy.

Things like this are why it's important to work with a professional who is well versed in real estate taxation because the "common/simple" strategies taught frequently like BRRR or house hacking actually get fairly complicated when it comes to handling it correctly. 

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Hi Jenna, welcome to Real Estate Investing!

But Real Estate she had no interest in.