They often have a list of preferred housing providers they work with.

.- is your mentor unable to provide referrals, insight, assistance?  

Some quick googling suggests the answer is yes provided I don't rent it out more than 180 days for the first year, do I understand correctly?

i'm expanding my buy and hold strategy now to get my foot wet on trying rehab, and would like to work with reliable wholesalers who can provide the source. 

When you deliver on your promises and provide exceptional returns, investors naturally want to share the good news with others.

So I'm curious whether anyone plays it, or whether the consensus is the Real World provides Challenges enough?

If there is an opportunity out there that you believe will provide you with better returns than what the stock market then yes buy real estate.

Be sure to check out the free tools BP provides to help analyze deals you may have and also market insights.

Absolutely, creating a baseline business plan is a crucial step when starting in real estate (or any field) because it provides clarity, direction, and a strategic foundation for your efforts. 

Only an investment team can provide the crucial local knowledge you need.Moreover, you'll need various resources to find, validate, inspect, renovate, and manage a property.