They don't have to be in your local area, but they need to have done a bunch and need to have systems in place that allow them to teach you by occasional in person visits, by phone, by text, by email, and by skype.In my opinion, you are MUCH better off teaming up with someone who knows what they are doing than you are paying for a one year guru program, for a couple of reasons:1) The cost - I am told these TV personality programs run from $30,000 to $75,000 with little or no hand holding2) They deplete your money, which prevents you from actually investing,  And that substantially slows you down, with the end result of discouraging most people.

Stay away from overpriced "get rich Quick" TV Guru's and Seminars.E. 

Most of newbies that has not purchased a property, has only 5% chance of purchasing, so I might just as well sit on a couch and watch tv than to spend time and money to bid on that job.

I have not thrown in other things like the cost of getting the house ready to rent, legal fees, accountant fees for filing taxes, advertising fees, costs of furnishing the house with beds, TV, maybe even cook ware or appliances, and regular furniture. 

Most people think it is a glamorous  profession from all the TV shows but your family member has a chance to see the real deal 

I also paid for all utilities and cable TV.

Everytime I do that it reminds me that I don't really need all of those creature comforts, like tv or sofa etc.

In an arms length deal, I'm shocked a seller would seller finance with the buyer putting "NO MONEY DOWN" All the late night real estate scams on TV were right, I was wrong.

There are the FliporFlop and FlippingVegas type shows on TV.

It seems too difficult to enforce.During my years as a tenant, I never bought rental insurance and I would have balked at requirements to do so.I was watching the local TV news a while back, there was a bad apartment building fire here in NYC, over 30 families was burnt out of their homes, shivering on the street.