Unfortunately the inspection found that the basement had some telling signs of foundation issues.

What can I do today in order to set good foundations to be able to go after an apartment building in the future, and how long will it take?

Abou;I have experience in buying distress 8 unit with two tenets.The 1st thing I did was to visit each unit make detailed notes as to what was needed to bring that apartment back to life to attract the higher end renter.Than, inspected the foundation and the roof, attic, common areas, went to court house looked up records on property, spoke to building inspector,They usually have some inside info on things that nobody else has.While doing the above, find out what is market rent is, this will help determined cash flow after repairs.What I did to get renters in, as soon as I finished remodeling an apartment I started advertising for rent with a lower rent rate then others in the market, the idea is to get her fixed up and all unites occupied, as soon as that happens you can start raising the rent. 

With the end of my current full time job in site, I figured it'd be a good time to start the foundation work for a full time career in Real Estate. 

Fill in the foundation below.Check out the Start Here page http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere Check out BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginner's Guide - A fantastic free book that walks through many of the key topics of real estate investing.Check out the free BiggerPockets Podcast - A weekly podcast with interviews and a ton of great advice.

I would begin with taking care of one of the most important parts of the home that like roof, foundation, windows and doors. 

Helped me get my bearings and learn the foundations of investing. 

Do you mean knock the house down to the foundation?

Hi,Can someone give me the contact info for a structural engineer who does foundation inspections or consultation on structural alterations on houses in the north Jersey Area?

Lost money but I did not allow another brick to fall out of the foundation of our society.