You have some great goals and sound pretty adventurous so you are in the right industry lol I love hiking and would love to kitesurf but will start with paddle boarding first. 

Wife is a realtor, hubby is part owner of an industrial construction company.Ideally wed love to get a fix and flip for our first investment.1- what is something you wished you knew before your first flip?

Rely on industry acknowledged experts for advice.

Keep your loan approval process quick and flexible, build strong industry relationships, and offer competitive rates.

Get into sales or a high income industry.

It's a highly nuanced industry that isn't very regulated so you will need to know what you can and cannot do legally and then create some personalized guidelines around what you want to fund and what you want your returns to look like.

I'm passionate about learning the ins and outs of the industry, and I'm eager to connect with others who share a similar drive.Whether it's sharing experiences, seeking advice, or exploring new opportunities, I'm here to grow and contribute to this vibrant community.

It is the mostpopular software in the industry and all CPAs know how to navigate it which isnice.

Like any platform they have advantages and disadvantages.Advantages:1) transparency: they publish the full results of their loan book, making them only the third side in the industry to do this. 2) underwriting: they have a 1.8% uncured default rate, which is good and is much lower than some of the other competing platforms and hard money loan alternatives (although not all).

Like @Sarah Kensinger said, I would surround yourself with like-minded people that have had success in the real estate industry to motivate you and teach you things you may not know!