I would highly recommend joining some of the many meetups and networking events in Austin for real estate investors, very valuable exchanges of ideas in person as well

Are these programs upwards of $25,000 worry it to FastTrack you on learning the business, get coaching and into a deal while providing access to a network worth it?

@Alecia LovelessWow yes network and be creative!! 

Networking is always a great practice and you never know who you might meet there and what good information they have to share.

Or should they be noticeably different to potentially capture a larger amount of people?

@Roy Loganeither1. your own direct marketing to property owners, or 2. through someone else (a wholesaler, another investor, your network, your uncle's neighbor who wants to sell their house and doesn't want to list it and tells your uncle)

To start, connect with local agents, wholesalers, reliable contractors, and networking groups.

Most of what they recommend only makes sense from an operational standpoint if you are a larger investor and have a team to help you manage everything.Also, ensure your REI-savvy tax pro and your REI-savvy attorney link up during the entity structure creation process so things are optimal on all sides.Just something to keep in mind as you're beginning this journey.

End up with all cash and little to no tax.Your wealth snowball ends up a lot larger 10 years down the road when you make and keep your money in a more tax efficient way.

Hey Caleb, There are a couple local REIA groups that would be good sources to come network with local investors.