I currently operate a mom and pop rental business in Reading with my wife where we provide an alternative to the slum lord business model that has existed in the Reading market.

You should focus on real estate rather than waste time on things you don't do well - and you need to make sure the marketing lines up with your real estate business.

Something worth at least looking into for the original poster is checkout "zen business . com " You can try to make an LLC on your own there before paying a lawyer 

The leasing fees are the low hanging fruit that makes that business even worth pursuing.

-It is a much more active business than a traditional rental.

My wife is a veteran real estate agent in SF and is very focused on continuing to build her book of business, so I'm leading the charge in the household on the investment side.

The more established borrowers with a track record likely have their banking relationships in place so how to you earn their business?

Keep in mind if you are doing commercial/portfolio/other loan types then none of this may matter…but for Fannie/Freddie it will.SCHEDULE CThe Schedule C portion of your personal tax returns is where most people file a business that is operated as a “sole proprietorship”.

I have had so many people asking me for help re financing in Mexico that I'm studying whether there's a way I can get involved in that business to be able to help them.Finally, something to bear in mind that the best deals in Mexico can be more profitable if you pay cash than a deal with a mortgage in the US.

For networking, I think I'll start just by attending a local real estate investor meeting and just listen and meet people, and hand out my business card.