Think of it as the CostCo method...make a respectable profit from a lot of deals instead of trying to make a killing off of one.Also, learn Craig's List...you can do a lot of buying and selling from there.Third, download the Ultimate Beginner's Guide to REI (http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investing) and read it over and over.Fourth, find a good REI (I would suggest any of the FIBI's or the Club in Action in Burbank) and network like crazy.

Its the same with Unlicensed PM's who think they can have a master lease and end up running a big PM operation....I had extensive conversations with the DRE investigator in MS over this issue and again he said its just a Ruse and they would shut down anyone without a valid brokers license if it appeared they were just acquiring multiple rentals on leases then releases them as in acting as a PM without a license.The Real Estate industry as a whole needs to help the government crack down on all this unlicensed activity by turning in these unlicensed people... that just try to flip contracts or homes without ever buying them...

I watch my realtor in action and as soon as he sees a local, he grabs them and starts getting information (in a very friendly way).

Loved seeing the rental property calc in action.

But it is great fun to make forward progress through action or, admittedly, inaction. 

I don't see how we could have hit the bottom yet with the back log of foreclosures and pre foreclosures waiting in the wings, but I can tell you that there has been a dramatic change in activity in my market.Lots and lots of people are buying right now.

It amazes me that people advise against it, in effect advising inaction.  

Update - 10/7/2018We are back in action!

If you have the time, interest, and ability to add value in actively owned real estate, you can achieve higher returns than passive syndication because you get to keep 100% of the value added. 

Check into it.Also... caution in acting on the advice of others... it could cost you your license.