With some spare time over the holidays I started seeking additional resources to help grow in 2016 which led me to here.I have spent the last few years flipping houses (in Prince William County, Woodbridge area) but I'm starting to look more towards buy and hold.

It has worked out more so in my favor by pure luck since I've been able to keep a few coworkers as room mates in my spare bedrooms, which has greatly increased my income since January 2016.

I've given my share of food and spare change...But I've always wanted to sit on a busy corner, dressed up with a sign that says "need money for BMW".

I don't use AirBNB so I didn't pay to much attention to the law on it but my understanding is that it mostly applied to vacant rental properties, nothing really about renting out your spare bedroom in your primary residence. 

At some point, I guess this is a rite of passage - accessing the internet's online communities and the freedom and responsibility that comes with that access.I'm a 27-year-old man, I'm over 200 lbs and I play rugby in my spare time, and I do not meet strangers I meet on BiggerPockets or elsewhere online in places that are not public for my own safety.

But, if I could do a deal quickly and get a good price from an individual with seller financing, I'd probably rather do that than go the short sale route, that might not end up being much less in your area.I'd say use your funds sparingly, with 10% down and seller financing you could have half million in properties.

My first deal died or so i thought, I recently saw the owner in the grocery store and he decided to give me the spare key he made for me that had been sitting in his car for over a month now.

I am curious though, if not an investor what are people called that are just starting out and spend their spare time (or quit their jobs) and money reading books, studying, driving neighborhoods looking at properties and hours on sites such as BP trying to find a way into this carreer?

You do not get rich at work, you get rich in your spare time - Robert KVision is seen with your mind.

The classic real estate investing book (for residential real estate) of all time is Bill Nickerson's "How I turned $1000 into $3 Million Investing in Real Estate - In My Spare Time".