It’s because the guru’s are NOT selling a real estate program, strategy or technique - they’re selling the American Dream of wealth and financial independence.   

I have been more of a lone wolf over the years, so I need a push to open my self to networking and building that dream team!

I'd recommend getting an REI-savvy tax pro so you guys make sure you're maximizing your tax strategy as well as when it comes time to file.An REI-savvy tax pro is worth their weight in gold.

But you won't know until you take that first step.To use a basketball analogy, you're dreaming about playing for the NBA when you haven't even tried to play a pickup game at the Y.

Then the Disney area may be a good fit.But if you watched some youtube channel with someone, who seems to get a deceitfully large percentage of their info from selling courses, preaching the dream of massive upfront cashflow that you can then leverage into another down payment next year and so on while exponentially increasing your wealth so you can quit your job and live on the beach in Aruba, Disney is the wrong market for you unless you're willing to invest substantially into super tippy top end theming.The good news if you're in the former camp is that prices have come down quite a bit here compared to most of the country with all of the saturation/competion. 

The Berkshire summer weight comforters are also great.

If it was me I'd sell Encinitas take the 1/2 mil tax free, keep the land in Carlsbad and build that dream home, and have a fun project with your mentor's home as a retreat.  

The truth is, the dream is available for everyone if they just ignore the idiots and focus on their goals.

I just turned 18 a couple months ago and while I do work a 9-5 job, it is my dream to not have to do this forever.

Anyone promising you overnight success with passive income is selling a dream, not reality.One of my clients got sucked into buying a “high cash flow” Section 8 property in a different state because it sounded like easy money.