@Russell BrazilOnce I get to 10,000 posts on the dot I will be sure to update everyone on my progress since I made this post when I was at 7,000 posts.In regards to finding time to do actual real estate work we can't forget that this IS actual real estate work.The amount of business I have done that I can directly correlate back to this site is staggering.The site is not magic though, you have to work it the correct way.

I have been a Lifestyles member for about 3 years, been on these boards for a couple of years,, I don't work for Lifestyles, but I firmly believe in the program.They don't teach you how to 'get rich quick', they don't teach you anything someone with 20+ years in real estate investing couldn't tell you,,but they have all that, including unlimited phone calls to ask questions, for $500 a year first year, and $250 a year after (and usuallly you can extend your membership when a sale is going on)No "magic' in what they teach, just good investing knowledge from years of investing experience.

What I don't understand is where this 30% magically disappears to.

I played with several options on small loans in a $260 million dollar portfolio and 12% seemed like the magic number.  

It would be magic for an agent to have more knowledge of a property than a) a home inspector and b) FEMA! 

Go back and read that, then if they didn't apply as indicated in the note, then have @shanteduffy work her magic.

I also attended one of those guru "free" seminars where I ended up paying for 3 day training, which then turned into me paying about $7,000 for education and a so called mentor that literally spoke to me one time and magically disappeared when I actually needed help.

The magic in it all is LEVERAGE, which is via performing debt.

You need to make sure it is a good investment, though, and not just because you're itching to do something. or because you think that the market will magically always go higher.I've had negative cash flowing properties because I was aggressively paying down short term debt on them, or because I was renovating vacant units. 

There is no magic in mortgages.When a borrower defaults the Mortgagee responds with foreclosure, not eviction.