You can exclude all appreciation on the original capital gains investment when you exchange or sell a property in an opportunity zone if you held it for more than 10 years.You are able to permanently exclude 10% of deferred gains from capital gains tax as long as you hold the property for at least 5 years and 15% if held for 7 years.Deferral of recognizing capital gains after the sale of a capital asset as long as the capital gains are invested in a QOF within 180 days of the property disposition.

I'm not a fan of buying a short term liability (no cash flowing property) in hopes of long term gain through appreciation. 

I love researching and gaining knowledge from people who are more experienced than I am.

They may or may not have good reasons and unless they communicate those reasons and perhaps even substantiate them I really try not to give them any weight.

Then don't rehab for zero COC return.But if you can spend $3000 on the lite rehab and increase rent from $1000 to $1050 then you'd gain $50 per month.50 x 12 = $600 more annually because you rehabbed.600 / 3000 = .2 or a 20% cash on cash return! 

Check bed frames and chairs for their weight limits. 

Understand the basics of private lendingResearch real estate marketsDetermine your investment strategy and criteria for loans, including:- Amounts- Interest rates- Repayment termsCreate legal documents with a lawyerNetwork with real estate professionalsPerform due diligence on potential borrowers and their projectsBegin with smaller loans to gain experienceMonitor your investments closelyConsider joining a private lending group for additional resourcesStay informed about real estate trends, lending practices, and legal regulations

The best advice on this topic, in my opinion, comes from 2 books:How to win friends and influence peopleNever eat aloneI am also looking for brokerages to work with or even experienced shadow / intern for to gain experience and additional knowledge.

Analyze properties that need only minor updates and start small to manage costs and gain experience.

I used tools like BiggerPockets to analyze deals weekly, and building a reliable team and networking with experienced investors helped me gain confidence.