I stumbled on bigger pockets and was hoping to download those excel templates and to learn more about real estate.

I just stumbled upon this post.

Story:While looking into buying some land I stumbled upon a commercial building that was the first bank in the city.

(Only if you are SERIOUS about real estate as your wealth/career vehicle.)Make sure you join a brokerage that is large, established, and has a reputation for top performance and excellent training.Once you learn the basics and get out into the field to see the state of the market, you'll learn the price points and be able to know a good/great deal when you stumble across it.I have made some of my best (most lucrative) buys from meeting with a seller who wants to list, and when we discussed the price, I knew it fit my parameters, so I bought it! 

Then park down the street and 'accidentally' wander into the back yard, and 'accidentally' stumble through that window.

I stumbled upon the Morris Invest Case Study by @Ian E. and am now inspired to document my current investment with the company.

I just stumbled on the home today and they already have over asking offers so I wanted to get some quick feedback.

Mello Roos are bonds that are floated to do off and on site development and then added to the tax bill. there is also 1915 act bonds etc.. if there was not the ability to float bonds CA would never have developed as it has as the up front captial for major improvements would have been a major stumbling block..

Cause any great deal you find in those channels, be certain dozens of other investors are also stumbling upon it, but that's what I would do if I wanted to stay in the home market and had that type of capital.Or, find a market where you can get into a house for 90k - 110k and then you're in a market where you make need 30k - 40k in capital to see it through to the exit.

One stumbling block of another full(ish)-service discount broker, Homie, was that it paid market-standard (2.5-3%) buyer agent commissions.