You must have your personal finances in order before you invest.

Quote from @Allen Berrebbi: Quote from @Dominic Mazzarella: I have personally owned and managed a multifamily property in Illinois and after selling it I said I would never invest in that state again.

This is the foundation of why LaPlante Real Estate is based in portfolio management and property management... my personal portfolio started in 2009 and I find the majority tends to be Section 8. 

I know Walter personally.. he knows a lot about real estate from many angels..

I think they contain solid information and will help lay a good foundation as a beginner (Haha, I'm completely new to real estate as well, btw)I'm also going to be reading the following books, and hopefully I can finish all by the end of this month:1) The ABCs of Property Management2) The Advanced Guide to Real Estate Investing3) Long-Distance Real Estate Investing How to Buy, Rehab, and Manage Out-of-State Rental Properties (this might be the most important one to me personally)4) The Book on Investing in Real Estate with No (and Low) Money DownIn addition to reading, I'm consuming crazy amounts of youtube videos, and I'recommend you do this as well.

The person they consider having the deep pockets. 

A realtor doing high volume, you don't have to use one you can poll 3-5 agents see what they do to get you the comps and then pick that person to help you.

Do you own a personal residence yet?

While personal circumstances can vary, it will be a unique situation indeed if $10K in debt should force you to declare bankruptcy. 

I think the 10-14% rate is where it will be for the next five or so years personally so plenty of opportunity