I'm a firm believer in surrounding yourself with others that you strive to be like. 

Housing in the surrounding areas are already scarce and the ones that are for sale are going for pretty cheap.

Is anyone familiar with Cypress park and the areas surrounding the restoration of the LA River project?  

You're going to want to surround yourself with people involved in real estate so you can apply the knowledge you learn and ask questions on things you're unclear on.Also, meet with some bankers.  

I would be cautious in San Bernardino as the crime is high, but you can get better returns there than the surrounding areas if you are willing to deal with that type of client.

Can somebody please recommend affordable and reliable services for the following types of repairs:Bathrooms- both tubs and tub surrounds Will need to be replaced.

We have a good mix in Knoxville and the surrounding areas of young and old, and a lot of retirees that we get here bring their family to the Smokey's (Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg) over the holidays and summer then decide this is the place they would like to live.

(achievable goals)Surround yourself with motivated people, network and talk to people who are successful. 

Along with the standard work I do on projects, these units included replacing all galvanized water lines to copper, upgrading the electrical infrastructure and installing instant water heaters.I hope that this helps!

Money spent on physical infrastructure outside of improvements for educational purposes does not receive any tax advantage.