Quest doesn't allow precious metal, for example.

On Meetup (app or website) look up Staunton Augusta Waynesboro Real Estate Investors Meetup.  

You have to spend even more of your money to hunt for those few precious leads out there.

This little book is definitely filled with wisdom, a precious rarity in our modern world of "information."

@Ryan Rowe ,  I'd challenge you to consider letting that $10k student loan "ride", and pay it off on the prescribed timeline.Using @Michael Hastings 's 4 points, (and a nod to @Scott Trench 's similar buckets), someone sold on REI is investing in RE in "step3", rather than mutual funds/etc because we think buy/hold real estate can return 10% or 20% on our precious capital, and why settle for less in the conventional investments?

Time is precious, I want my 30 seconds back

Newbies who have never experienced a downturn in real estate are in denial about this, but that doesn't make it any less true ... investors by the thousands that thought otherwise lost their homes in the last downturn ... their precious cash flow did not save them.

I don’t want to miss any of those moments with my little guy, they are so precious!

My goal is to acquire my first property by the end of June and have if sold by the end of August. As

I can understand your mentor's advice (50-60% ARV w/$100 EMD) when making offers on off-market deals or properties, but on MLS listed properties, you are likely wasting your time and everyone else's and any decent realtor won't waste their precious time playing the lottery.