Warren buffet doesn't care about other people's opinion... he just studies the business.

I have read, studied, networked, marketed, and learned tons of information about the real estate/real estate investing industry.

Grant - All I know is that the attorneys here have studied and reported on the SAFE Act of 2008 since the whole mess began.Sharon

I not only study all information available on line before investing but also visit the property numerous times at various times of the day and night as well as personally inspect the interior, exterior etc.Now lets say that you living out of state have the exact same experience, knowledge and expertise about real estate investing, in general, as I do.

I think the best way to save money while studying real estate investing is to keep your day job until the income from your investing supports your lifestyle AND there is some left over to do more investing.

There will be a series of things to learn and study while implementing.If you want to invest in rental properties consider MikeOH's book.

"Special Assessments" will turn you upside down in a flash, so be sure there is a well qualified Reserve Study in place.

I have been studying REI for several years now, but have yet to make the leap into actually getting started, mainly because I am still unsure how/what I can do in my situation.I have quite a bit of credit card debt and no savings, so I don't know what to do to get going.

I don't think a property type is so much more important than the details behind it.A SFH that was purchased for $50,000 and now worth $60,000 likely doesn't make a good candidate to do a 1031 exchange because the deferred gain is small.However, a SFH that was purchased for $250,000 and now worth $500,000 is likely a good candidate for a SFH.Also, whether you did a Cost segregation study also plays an important role, if you did a cost segregation and your basis is greatly diminished, I would likely moreso consider a 1031.best of luck

Meaning they have ivy league analysts, economists, and researchers who study the economy and real estate on a daily basis for the benefit of their investors.