If you're starting out, I wouldn't try going against the major league players.    

.- You are on both ends of the investing world and the sweet spot is right in the middle.Think of the Monopoly Board - the best investments are the Orange and Red properties around Free Parking --- Go to Jail cards and the Go to Jail spot jump players over the high rent properties and the low rent properties in a way that mimics the supply and demand principles of the free market --The Orange and Red properties represent the highest rental demand segment of middle class America -- In my opinion that is where you will most successfully invest and if I were in your shoes, that is what I would do.Good luck and Happy investing -jeff

We still did a lot of the work, but less than half of it.Some of our goals for 2010 include:1 - Execute 5 flips this year2 - Network with similar real estate investors3 - Bring on 1-2 more deal partners4 - Meet more contractors and develop a complete team of go-to players and reduce / eliminate us doing the rehabs5 - Learn the short sale game as the good REOs seem to be drying up.6 - Improve our web presenceThanks for reading and I look forward to meeting like-minded investors.

The big players in the space like Common have had to invest a lot in lawyers to help them navigate the legal landscape and had to shift away from their original vision of co-working for residences to a bit more of a traditional mode with leases, etc., rather than licenses, as you have with co-working.

So you'll need to know your numbers & be ready to jump on something with an all cash offer immediately hoping that one of the bigger players hasn't already stepped in front or over the top of you.

There are quite a few new players in the REI CRM field. 

You're competing with institutional players with deep pockets.That being said, focus one 1 or 2 markets and work very hard to establish relationships with the top commercial brokers there.

none seem to pop into my head @Chris Clark, but other than FEMA and NFIP, are 2 key players that can make or not make you want to invest in the post-flood "redstick," my realtors work with us and we try not to buy in flood zone areas, but our newest project will require a flood certificate, if we have to elevate then no deal, but we are expecting to rehab and standard flood insurance, this is the new norm after the devastation, we buy low and sell for profit, just hope home-owners that want to invest in these areas will go the additional mile and get contents/possession coverage as well, always keep Louisiana strong, keep posting but most of all keep sharing

Spend the time to learn the players on the teams.  

You don't get either w/duplexes but if the market slows down and does sideways for awhile big apartments are more insulated and value add players have a way to continue to create value on early in projects.