Yup and its a joke when you have these proclamations from those running for pres that they are going to magically accelerate construction.. they can do it if they want to pay 100% of it.. but if they expect the private sector that has to work through local zoning etc.. that aint happening and you cant force people to sell the land cheaper than they think its worth or can get on the open market just because we need starter housing.

Did you attend educational courses to enhance your real estate knowledge?

I would be happy just throwing my money into index funds if that makes the most sense, I'm just not well educated in the area of passive income enough to feel confident in any decision. 

I have a good FT job in education administration, but I want to retire asap, focusing on RE (so, not really retiring, but you get the idea).

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

This initial conversation before the owner has a property can be very educational especially if the owner is out of state or has never been to our city.

While sophistication of your equity partners (private money lenders) will vary between residential and commercial, the principle of raising private capital is the same.You need to develop your own system which allows a constant stream of PML even when you don't need the funds and/or don't have an active deal under contract.For example; I raise private capital by offering free educational workshops for people with self-directed IRAs.

Just know that the majority of those in the 'education segment' of real estate are presenting you their information to make the speaker money... and if you happen to benefit too... that 's great!  

And in regards to getting educated on the the laws, I assume the best route is to link of with an attorney who has experience with these types of transactions?

Thank you for the absolute TREASURE trove of knowledge and selfless peer education provided on this forum.