I am primarily interested in the hold & rent strategy, as I have a day job that I actually enjoy and would like a more hands-off approach to my investment... for now at least... if things work out with REI, I might consider doing that full time later.But anyways, I'm glad there is a forum on the web where a REI newbie like me can learn and connect.

"Business Week" publishes annual rankings for these schools.

They don't get enough web traffic.The rental market here in LA County is kind of tricky.

The best place on the web in my opinion.

But I also do contract negotiations, marketing, operations and project management, logistics, web development, advertising, bookeeping and public relations.

In addition to reading, podcasts and studying your local market via listings on the web...I would really like to hear about actionable steps that one could be doing during this phase.

Often title companies that work with investors sponsor the local REIA groups so you will see listed on web sites and newsletters.

I don't need a template as I have an "in-house" web designer.

FYI Mitch posted a link and in there 2 more web sites are added for properties, this will probably come in handy when equator site no longer works.

ROBS stands for rollover as business startup.Over 20,000 ROBS have been funded to date and fortunately the IRS has published guidelines on ROBS.October 2008 Memorandum:First official publication where the IRS formally addressed the ROBS arrangement;IRS confirmed that these transactions may be not challenged as “non-compliant per se”;IRS summarized the steps involved in the ROBS transaction; andIRS identified compliance pitfalls including the failure to file the annual retirement plan form 5500 tax return, the failure to file the corporation’s tax return, & the failure to obtain an annual valuation of the plan’s assets including the investment in the corporation stock2009 - ROBS ProjectIn 2009, the IRS initiated a “ROBS project” to define traits of compliant ROBS plans and in doing so acknowledged that a ROBS transaction can be conducted in a compliant manner. 2010 – IRS Telephone Forum In a 2010 telephone forum conducted by the IRS, the IRS’s Director of Employee Plans Examinations Office and the Area Plan Manager stated that ROBS transactions are not “abusive per se” and that “you can have a textbook ROBS that is pretty much problem-free.”Fall of 2010 Retirement News for Employers: Brief SummaryThe IRS confirmed that the ROBS transaction is not considered an abusive tax avoidance transaction;The IRS confirmed that it does not protect business owners (also known as the plan sponsor) from incorrectly administering the retirement plan;The IRS confirmed that if the rules are not followed the retirement plan will be subjected to adverse tax consequencesFebruary 2013 Employee Plans Compliance Unit ROBS Project: Brief SummaryMuch of the same information contained in the October 2088 Memorandum was published in this summary; andThe IRS again confirmed that ROBS is not considered abusive transaction.