Doing this will tie into the brand awareness and the image built by your infomercial.

Go to the largest realestate office in your area.Call and make an appointment to talk with someone about a career in realestate(I say career because when an 18-25 year old calls me and says "hey man you hiring I need a job" I usually do not return the call.Be serious,on time,willing(to do what ever they ask of you),show up shaved,well dressed(not a suit necessarily...but good jeans nice polo and decent shoes),and be polite and respectful starting with your first phone call.That said expect THEM to pay for your schooling if you want to become a realestate agent,in return you will probably end up signing a 1-2 year work agreement saying you will do nothing in realestate other than work for said entity.Also look at up front fees.Some realestate agents here pay for a desk in an office on a monthly basis...if it is that type of office I would go somewhere else.Expect a low commision rate to start,after all they are paying to start you out and need to recoup the cost of that.Be eager to learn,but do not be the annoying new guy lol.All that said if you are serious about becoming an investor there is almost no better way to start.You will learn your local market,realestate transactions and laws.It is always better to know more than the other guy when investing.If you show up on time,work hard,and show promise you will do well.Oh,if the first office you go to does not need anyone at that time do not give up.

That means you're earning nothing for a return on the cash you have tied up.

just to put it in perspective, when the us had the great run to the quarterfinals in 02, they came out of their group with a win, loss, and tie i believe.

They don't teach you anything about running a real business, working with clients, returning phone calls, or being a good real estate agent.As for them learning to be real estate investors, I think most are not qualified to tie their shoes, let alone decide if a property is a money maker.Probably going to tick people off with this post, but it is the way I feel.

I'm most likely going to set up an LLC for each property, but can I keep the money tied into the Holding company to use as $'s in the US?

In short, they want to tie the property up for approximately three months pending results of their application.

No reasonably competent seller will allow a “buyer” to tie up his property with no earnest money, unless he’s mentally challenged or desperate to the extreme.  

As many here can attest, if things start to go south with a contractor, they go south quickly and if a claim is brewing, they will likely cut ties and you’re left holding the bag.

when I was in your shoes I added a new build to rental component to my business.