For about $50 you can hire a programmer on Odesk.com to scour the tax records and create a list of owners who live at a different address than the situs property.

I am a computer programmer.

I am a Master Neuro-Linguistic Programmer.

-High heating & cooling bills due to old systems that are not temperature controlled, have no thermostat, and that are old and dirty.

The woman ("Robert was too busy to attend" apparently) who gave the presentation was literally no more than a saleswoman.As other people have stated, there is nothing to gain from the seminar that you couldn't get from this site, without having training packages shoved down your throat.My advice: don't attend and DEFINITELY don't buy into the programme - you can just as easily approach some of the successful investors on here for advice without any hidden agenda :)

It was near zero degrees here at the time and they had their thermostat set too low.

However, also do not be afraid to take a year or two to explore what you want to do with the next phase of your life.Though the enthusiasm in the recommendations of  @Jordan Redar is contagious, his option two is a USA specific programme {In Canada we have the first time home buyers programme with CMHC which will let you purchase a residential property for as little as 5% down, there are also programmes in some provinces to assist lower income individuals/families with downpayment}.  

For something like heat, you may be able to install a thermostat that limits how high the tenant can set the temperature.

I've been listening to the BiggerPockets podcast for a few months now, am in the process of reading Brandon's book on REI, and am just trying to immerse myself in all things real-estate.I work as a programmer in the financial industry, so currently I'm most familiar/comfortable in the stock market with mutual funds.

Again, communicate with kindness and respect.Oh, you may find yourself or want to let tenants know up front not to mess with the thermostat.