I have a local handyman that helped me hired junk removal company and pest control for the roaches.

For REP status federally, you must meet two requirements: work 750+ hours in real estate activities and spend more than 50% of your total working hours on these activities during the tax year.

Instead of spending years learning by trial and error, working with a coach or mentor can allow you to accelerate your learning curve, gain confidence, and achieve your goals faster.

I don't see a national rent control law ever coming into law - aside from the fact that there's just no need for it, there's way too many things working against it - Congress, constitutional law, lobbyists, etc.

In CA currently only MF properties are rent controlled.

If you do decide on an area, please go visit and spend time in that area and get to really know it and the team you plan on working with before investing into it.

You will spend lots of time checking the quality of their work, from TAXES, to the most mundane administrative work of Registered Agent services.

If the stock market goes on a roller coaster ride you have no control.

If anyone spends any time in Europe, barely any jurisdiction impose these limitations on homeowners/builders yet people live in much smaller spaces... and very happily.

A common bit of advice seen on this site is, "Don't spend $20K on a mentoring program when you could spend that money on your first deal and you'll learn much more."