As you start to live a life where you consume less, you will find that you enjoy time at the park, walking, bike riding, hanging out with friends (NOT at the bar or club) you will start to have all kinds of extra money to invest in real estate.While you are doing all of this, start letting people know that you are looking for people who are behind on their mortgage or taxes or are getting divorced so that you can find some great deals.

Educate and consume everything real estate.

as a realtor, I can tell you that even any human being, especially if they understand where the market is / is heading (and with what velocity) + when they can interpret the comps, will price property MUCH more accurately than any of the algorithms on the consumer web sites, such as zillow, redfin, etc.

My ultimate goal is to provide transparency concerning the credit application process and uncover if consumers can apply for and secure the same type of credit on their own if they so choose.

That doesn't even include cleaning supplies or replenishing the consumables

This increased cash flow will allow you to rent somewhere to live, pay off consumer debt, and purchase more rentals in the future.

Then it can be a time consuming and sometimes painful process to learn construction.  

Listing homes isn't nearly as time consuming, so I try to dedicate more time on that side of the transaction.

I think you should start familiarizing yourself with the area now by consuming the local news content.

In an economic downturn, one of the first areas to get hit is leisure/travel spending for consumers and business travel.