We’ve found a niche area that fits our budget and personal vision, and it has usually taken a few months of regularly analyzing deals to find something that works for us.

Then I look for properties that fit my parameters…and I always ask for owner financing…even though I might use that mortgage broker.  

For the ROW agent that fits with what he's allowed to do better than giving you items that someone else could criticize his agreeing to.

By getting to know someone’s work ethic, goals, and character over time, you’ll be in a much better position to determine if they’re a good fit for a long-term collaboration.

Nailing down a buy box in the area, funding, and having a plan will come out of absorbing a ton of knowledge and narrowing down to what makes the most sense to you, what fits your life, and what fits your goals the best. 

(Only if you are SERIOUS about real estate as your wealth/career vehicle.)Make sure you join a brokerage that is large, established, and has a reputation for top performance and excellent training.Once you learn the basics and get out into the field to see the state of the market, you'll learn the price points and be able to know a good/great deal when you stumble across it.I have made some of my best (most lucrative) buys from meeting with a seller who wants to list, and when we discussed the price, I knew it fit my parameters, so I bought it! 

Although we decided it wasn't a good fit, I'd surely appreciate your generous offer to share GC's PM's etc. 

As others have said your local credit union is a good fit for some people as well.

If you feel you are ready for this and have a desire to ignore advice that doesnt fit what you want to hear just go for it.

This is part of my loan process - a discovery and strategy session with the client to understand their scenario, future plans, and overall situation so I can structure the loan to fit into it.