I work as a Software Engineer in San Francisco and my main goal is to gain financial independence through investing.

I’m in the process of trying to reverse-engineer my financial freedom number - starting with a goal of making X dollars per year, then figuring out how many rentals or flips or wholesale deals to reach that number.

If you have a good understanding of the process you can hire architects, engineers and a good GC to helping guide you but you really need to know what you're looking at, understand the market and the financials of the deal and development process. 

If you plan on changing the floor plan you will spend some money on Architecture/Structural engineering design.

(Personal service includes the fields of health, law, engineering, architecture, accounting, actuarial science, performing arts, consulting, or any other trade or business in which capital is not a material income-producing factor.)7.

@Brian WaltersI'm a full time Mechanical Engineer out here.

Hey Dave, SEO = Search Engine Optimization.It is basically optimizing your website so it appears on the top of the list when someone does a search in Google.When you are #1 on Google you will get a bunch of traffic.Then if your website is optimized for conversins as well, that inbound traffic then become leads.The results is a bunch of highly motivated seller leads, and all for free.Like so: The reason why this is so important is that you do not spend money on marketing, you don't go out looking for sellers and you don't need to talk people into selling their house to you.People look for you, and then they ask you.. no, beg you to please make them an offer.

Could be anything: accounting, engineer, law, maybe medicine, even trades (they make good to great money).You’ll see many questions and also advertisemtns/books on how to invest in real estate with little or no money or income...

I'm a current Electrical Engineering major in college, but have recently become interested in real estate investing.

If you just want to develop the property and sell lots you need to start with a Civil engineer and site work contractor that does the work of land clearing, utilities, streets etc.