It helps to start by picking one or two markets to research in depth, especially those that offer good value for your capital or align with your goals.For resources, I’d suggest diving into books like Rich Dad Poor Dad to build a solid real estate mindset, and maybe explore podcasts or online forums where real estate investors share experiences.

You have come to the right place to begin your investing journey.Awesome board with many smart people having own suggestions and ideas to grow wealth!!

I respect architects but they often don't know and/or don't care about the cost of doing things one way vs. another or how a simple choice can have an outsized impact on your budget.

He quoted a 20% fee for managing each successful booking and suggested we improve the staging of the house, which he would oversee for an additional 10% of the total staging costs.

Usually strategic locations suggest good fundamentals which means you are in a neighborhood where you wouldn't have to rely on section 8 tenants.

Each state is different, so I highly suggest to anyone interested calling the HQ in maryland, and finding the local chapter for info.

And for those who have a hard time finding good contractors, what would you say is the number one reason it's hard to find a good contractor and what would you suggest as a good fix for the issue?

If they did, they wouldn't be here asking questions : )  As a result, this means that CPAs, Lawyers, and Financial professionals should explain things in simple terms that are easy for people to understand (I'm not sure quoting pubs and regs directly screams simplicity, but including it as a reference is helpful for everyone). 

One suggestion would be to network with local investors or consider working under a mentor for hands-on experience—sometimes learning by doing accelerates growth more than research alone.

I suggest you have a conversation with someone who understands and teaches creative financing before jumping in.