Your best teacher will be experience and that can't come from books and formulas. 

There are several books out there that are centered around your situation (rental property investing) ... 

I have been reading and listening to real estate investing books everyday for a while now and it is something i want to pursue. 

Then you can read a more in-depth book like The Book On Rental Property Investing by Brandon Turner or The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing by Spencer Strauss.You need to get a firm grasp on two things: the ways to make money with real estate, and how to find deals that match your goals.P.S.

One of the first books Dave gave me to read was, Rich Dad Poor Dad.

Some landlords complained about having no bookings for months.

I have listened to plenty of podcasts and ready a number of books, but only a few mention purchasing yours first rental with a HELOC.

I have read the book on long distance investing and still am not too confident to get started.

And there are real estate text books, many used in business schools, as well as building trade books, magazines, youtube videos.

Durability is so important—nothing more stressful than scrambling to replace a piece of furniture between bookings!