But it's YOUR money, and Real Estate, to put it mildly, is a contact sport).Month 5: Deals & Network (15-18 hours/week)Submit first offersAttend 2-3 REI events monthlyBuild social media presenceKey Goal: First offer acceptedMonth 6: Scale & Automate (15-20 hours/week)Delegate initial tasksEstablish morning/evening routinesCreate follow-up systemsKey Goal: Sustainable weekly schedule🚫 Common Pitfalls to Avoid:Overcommitting earlyNeglecting W2 responsibilitiesSkipping system creationTaking on too many mentor calls✅ Success Markers:Consistent daily actionsGrowing networkClear systemsNo work conflictsSteady deal flowMaintained energy levels👉 Action Steps This Week:Audit your current scheduleBlock 2 hours dailyChoose your power hour (morning/evening)Set 30-day milestoneGeneral Comment:  obviously not everyone will follow these suggestions.  

Population is growing, NFL Draft was the BEST EVER attended, prices are up over 20% last year, etc.

Attend every local REI MeetUp you can.

OTM was more a round table discussion of current events, predictions, news etc as it related to real estate, where the hosts also provide some great personal stories that relate to the topics discussed. 

With $330/m in cash flow, unless you have sufficient reserves set aside those funds should remain as liquid as possible in the event of repairs or cap ex.

I am wondering if my first steps (past the education part) is to build a network of people who know, like, and trust me through posting content like newsletters, articles, podcasts, doing webinars, going to events (aka build my brand), or, should I first find a deal and then raise capital?

The best thing you can do is listen to the BP podcasts, read through some of the forums and attend some local meetups to connect with other investors.

@Jake Thorpe  I did NOT say that I bought all those, only that I saw those properties offered for sale at Tax Sales that I attended.

Cash out refinances after a 1031 exchange are not a taxable event.

Go to some networking events in the area and meet other investors.