Its growth has come from providing the market with exceptional intelligence and analysis about the market.

Save up, do side gigs for extra money, and then look at buying a house where you can fix up on the side.Otherwise, go to college, mature a bit, and make sure you save intelligently once you start working.

@Tony Kim I don't understand why people like you have to insult people or challenge others intelligence.

There's plenty of opportunity for one to inflate their time, or be dishonest about a situation, if they are so inclined.When paying someone else, a person with the relationship and 'on the ground' also has opportunities to work with a vendor to artificially inflate prices.For me, the moral of the story, to be totally honest is not to be the passive investor type.There are folks on here that will have a different perspective/take on this, however my belief is to not expose yourself like this - and if you have the ability/constraints, be the more active investor of the two.

@Antonio Walton   I always recommend reading “The intelligent Investor” - Benjamin Graham and “Long-Distance Real Estate Investing” - David Greene    Two solid books for buy and hold investors.

It seems intelligent to get at least a few more houses in the area so that I can have more doors under one management team. 

Even if you end up hiring an electrician, that $10 will allow you to have more intelligent discussions with them. 

Finally, I began clicking links and though I do not consider myself exceptionally intelligent I feel as though I can smell out relatively well when someone is making you out to be a product rather than a student.

Without knowing how to underwrite, you can't speak intelligently to investors/lenders etc, nor will you know which deals to pursue. 

Being an agent won't magically make you intelligent - there are a lot of horrible, ignorant agents out there.