You also may need to start with more capital so you are prepared for unexpected situations.

There were several mistakes made on my tax returns that I pointed out, which required going back and forth with their tax preparers.

Quote from @Eddie Ray: Im currently looking for a RE tax professional/preparer in San Diego, CA.

I took a couple of weeks off from my former job to really focus and prepare for the exam. 

I spent months reading, browsing forums and meeting with other investors to prepare.

When I helped start a restaurant, I tried to prepare as much of this stuff as I could before opening and it saved me stress and time repeatedly. 

I've lost friends and family to substance abuse so it seemed like an opportunity to do some good and make money in the process.I negotiated a sweet deal, and was prepared to buy it myself, but a few of my clients expressed interest and I ended up helping two of them form a partnership.

A deed preparation should not cost you more than $150 to $200 plus recording fee.

It sounds like you've done a lot of the preparation work required to hit the ground running. 

For example, are there specific documents or information I should prepare, or would identifying a target property first be more beneficial?