I'm 45 years old and have considered getting into the RE game for numerous years. 

In the early days, I did numerous hypothetical scenarios presentations to potential private lenders, using listing printouts of actual sold properties, real comps, with summary sheet of ARV, expenses, pruchase price and profits. .

While it doesn't have your kid element, our story does have the crazy predictable components of life.I too am looking for an opportunity to work on this full time so we I can stay home and raise our future kids.Feel free to pm me if you want to talk.

The simplest is to work with a turn-key company, which has all the elements in place from finding the property, to rehabbing it, to placing a tenant, to managing it.  

This is element #1 of my strategy - leverage an existing track record.During our call, I pitched him on me bringing my skills (general business management and marketing/advertising) to the table in exchange for the opportunity to use them - i.e. he would enable me with his skill set and I would help him to scale, using his track record as a springboard to craft a win/win situation.

They are localized and need more hand holding as evidenced with the numerous posts here on BP.

I have gone to numerous estimates and honestly some were a huge waste of time.

Since we are taking ZERO out of the real estate biz we should be a wet dream for this kind of product.Challenge:  I have floated this desire out to the universe so far and I've been hit below the belt numerous times!  

Listening to numerous BP podcasts has solidified what I've been learning so far and has been so invaluable.Thank you Josh and Brandon!  

I have asked many people questions and watched numerous youtube videos, i even almost paid into a self proclaimed "premier realbestate education" classes.