My realtor/mentor said it could be in the basement or foundation and if I purchased a home there I could be dealing with issues that come up from it.

However the majority of my mentors who have excelled in the industry have 4 year degrees from colleges where they established their network. 

Network with as many like mined people as possible, get a mentor or a few mentors and pick their brains as much as humanly possible,  start a side hustle, build their credit and income as much as possible and save as much as they possibly can towards an investment. 

Connect with as many real estate mentors as you can.

How many of you have mentors or another type of Real Estate Career Development Personnel to help you throughout your Real Estate Investment, Sales, or Brokerage employment journey?

A mentor could be someone you work for at a company, a senior project manager or VP of development.

The best way to transition is to go to work for a commercial firm, investor or developer, partner with someone by finding a deal or bringing cash or hire a mentor to coach you and fast track your success.

For instance, you may come across a mentor that offers "certificates." 

In my opinion, the content on Biggerpockets is enough to start you out without paying extra for a mentor.

This is just my opinion, but the best way to find a mentor is at a meet up or somewhere without requesting one…and it’s a relationship, so it just kind of happens, without requesting it.