@Belinda Lopez  very good points many reia's are owned by someone who is making a living running the REIA  or they have a publication of that reia and sell advertising.

I live in Sacramento, and have noticed that people are offering either equal or above asking price even for homes that sometimes need 80-100k in repairs and I can't see how they would even make a profit doing that.

You live and learn I suppose.

These type living arrangements are primarily short term until user circumstances change

My Real Estate plan is slow and long, I don't plan to live on the income so it may take me a few years to justify a $2k expense for a conversation or for a CPA to handle my returns.

After 45 + years as a real estate investor, broker, lender, fund manager and syndicator, I’ve become aware that the “dream” of many investors and investor “hopefuls” is to be able to generate enough cash flow to live off their real estate holdings and accumulate enough wealth to make “work” optional.

I have a client that lives in Hawaii but owns a property in DC area.

I haven't lived in it long enough to be exempt from capital gains, good point on that.

Hey Bryant, that’s so funny I have lived in College Station for the past two years but just recently moved back home after graduation.

However, I live close-by (30 minute drive), recently retired from my day-job, and if the loan is not too large, I might be willing to do a deal just to learn a bit more about another side of RE.