@Dick Rosen you are so right, and that has been the hardest part for me. 

It also helps that I work from home right by a giant shopping center.

Brookfield’s new fund, for example, purchased the two-thirds stake in mall giant GGP Inc. that Brookfield didn’t already own.Brookfield’s scale enables it to get returns “you simply can’t get if you’re an individual investor buying an individual mall,” said Brian Kingston, chief executive of Brookfield’s real-estate arm.Blackstone’s global co-head of real estate, Kenneth Caplan, who declined to comment on the fundraising, said markets are fickle and whether or not there are opportunities to buy “can change pretty quickly.”Some funds are setting less ambitious fundraising targets.

@Mike ReynoldsThe closest I ever came to winning like that with the Borg (Big Orange Retail Giant) was the Home Depot Seeds program, where they sent me stuff every month and I wrote reviews for it under the reviewer name "BuyerBeware22" and I got to keep the stuff.

This can be applied to your single family home or the "big guys" giant multifamily properties.  

Wow Dick that is a great list of things to look for - I'm somewhat of a newbie as well and the list is very informative.Thank You,Nancy Dito

It’s never been clear to me how powerful any of these organization can be in raising our concerns and lobbying our legislators, compared to the giant behemoth mega-banking industry and Wall Street, which seems to do well for itself.With any luck, we’ll be able to ride the coattails of the CMLA, as long as we’re not excluded at the last minute.Jeff

@Dick Rosen I see your point. 

NE, less than 5 blocks to NOMA metro, Giant supermarket, and at the heart of the H St. corridor.Seller is asking (off market): $475kRehab costs: Approx $200kHouse is a regular wardman-style, 3 level, 1400 sf with a front porch a little above grade.

Being an internet dick doesn't give you an extra inch.Thanks everyone else for your helpful suggestions and insight!