The second path is to become successful in real estate investing on your own beginning on a small scale.  

Close family passed and I'm now looking at buying a small house/cabin in Colorado to do STR. 

If I was trying to break into the industry, I would approach a few small- to mid-level sponsors and ask if you could provide help to their organization in exchange for a mentorship.

I agree, it's important to really understand the basics and start small to get your feet wet.

Interesting - I have been investing in Philly for 8 years, run a  group of 2500 small landlords, speak at lots of events, know and network with many of the players  . . . but never heard of him before.

Just like compound interest in finance, small daily habits build exponential growth over time.

Analyze properties that need only minor updates and start small to manage costs and gain experience.

My advice is to analyze your equity, focus on high-growth areas, educate yourself, and start small.

Start with your primary, rent out any spare bedrooms "house hack"Use that to practice upgrades, kitchen, bathroom, curb appeal... etcNow you have experience as a landlord and flipper, use that to buy a distressed propertyAdd 40% equity to the property through home makeover, refinance into a low cost mortgageNow you are cashflowing a healthy margin on a second property, use that to build equity over time, cashout later and buy your duplex/quad.If it's going to take you 10 years to save up a down payment for a small apartment building, yeah it makes more sense to start growing your portfolio with cheap SFR flips instead.Every market is different, every borrower is different, every property is different, it would be ill-advised to recommend anything without recognizing the individual's nuanced goals and objectives with their next acquisition.

I have lived in (with a small child) and own multiple pre-1978 homes that most likely had lead paint in them.