DC has its own set of rules—often requiring a Basic Business License with endorsements for specific trades. 

Hre are the key things to knowWhat you are bidding on - often oddball properties that are hard to identify and have little value are auctioned offThe true as is value of the property, The tax assessment can be way higher or way lower than the true as is valueThe local laws and how they affet your total costs and returns

The numbers often look the best in some of the worst areas to manage and on properties that have the most deferred maintenance.

Find the REIA group for your areaAs Henry noted, post something specific for your area and tag your market.Get on Loopnet for your area and property type, reach out to the brokers that are listing deals and offer to take to coffee (they are often invested in deals too but you could ask for connections to other operators that might be getting started).And, again as Henry noted, each person you meet, ask them what other networking events they have attended that you can put on your list.

Often times investors will plan seller financing strategies before asking the owner if its even on the table. 

I have often stated there are two ways to make money in Real Estate....The California method and the Texas method (I certainly understand there are many more ways to look at investing but I am OVER simplifying).  

I am more likely to take a risk, but i suspect when my husband is out from under a controlling baby mama, he won’t mind a little risk either.I love Texas, try to vacation there often and my husband is aligned with Texas farm property as a ten year long term goal.I’m also passionate about the trades and if i could do it all again I’d be part owner of some kind of builder or remodeler or specialty trades business. 

Also, consider this copy & paste advice below:Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a Class A property in Class D area, what quality of tenant will you get?

One of the biggest challenges of investing in Rustbelt cities is knowing where to invest and properly understanding the cooresponding pros & cons.Here's copy & paste advice we share to help to address this challenge:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a Class A property in Class D area, what quality of tenant will you get?

If you are willing to do the work, the landlord can often be the first point of contact with housing assistance.