So while I agree, Chase is an awesome bank in terms of customer service and features, it's one of few that American's should absolutely avoid banking with. 

Realistically the majority of americans do not.  

@Gage EaleyI found a great contractor through a friend of mine, consistent with Sam's point that you're more likely to find better quality professionals through your own personal network and friends. 

@Sam G.Yeah, kinda of the point of having a real estate license is being able to be compensated for the brokering of real estate. 

@Anthony Thompson @Sam Albert Thank you both for the feedback, much appreciated.

We are an African American couple in our fifties. 

A recent online survey of 2,325 California residents, taken between Nov. 4 and Nov. 23 by the Public Policy Institute of California, found 26% of residents have seriously considered moving out of state and that 58% say that the American Dream is harder to achieve in California than elsewhere in the United States.I'm willing to work hard to make RE investment pay off over time, but I do wonder if I'd be better starting with out-of-state, where it might be easier. 

Maybe you have seen me around, I am Sean, a high schooler currently from Shanghai American School interested in real estate investing; I started a while ago when my friend (who now left) introduced me to this concept, and I have been researching ever since.In the short term, I plan to get involved in some deals some way or another, either by helping to find deals for other investors or actually owning them myself (maybe with a partner).

@Sam Cook I am just across the river in Ohio and do.

At the beginning of this year, my friend and I, both high schoolers from Shanghai American School, created a business plan for a potential real estate company that collects multi family investments.