As I look back on the article now I can see the red flags and so it's a lesson well learned. 

And although it's only been a month since picking up that book, I have found myself devoting a couple hours a day into this new endeavor with podcasts, articles, and webcasts.

Do you recommend any podcasts or blogs that discuss these types of sales?

http://www.iwco.com/blog/2015/04/14/dma-response-r...In my experience (and I've been in marketing for a long time) 1% is the typical benchmark cited for most direct mail campaigns.  

They are both great at learning the fundamentals.Also - here's a couple articles you might enjoy:The 21 Best Real Estate Investing Books Ever How to Rent Your House: The Definitive Step by Step GuideHow to Be a Landlord: Ten Tips for SuccessOh - and don't forget to set up your Keyword Alerts!

Involving yourself in forums, blogs, podcasts, and webinars will avail you opportunities to meet members while ingesting informative information.At the bottom of this page is a list with help in it.

Being new to REI, I read blog posts almost every day and soak up podcasts to increase my competency.

Before anyone jumps into options they really need to learn real estate, and that isn't taught by gurus or in the forums or blogs here. 

You will find resources here from blogs to pod casts and forums.

Any good websites or BP blogs you can direct me to?