Just wanted to get some ideas from people; so utilizing the "other people's money" technique I applied for a 30k loan and was approved at 8.99 apr.

Seems like the gradual approach to find out if it's right for me has been a common approach, just hoping i'm able to get in enough exposure on a limited basis.Originally posted by @John Slater:Hi Bill. 

But for all we know, the tenant's name is John Smith or another very common name.  

The more common mistakes are buying incorrectly, not planning for capital expenses and the cost of money and underestimating operating expenses or having the seller lie on his T-12.

Based on that you can house hack yourself to a 4-plex live for free, bank all your work income while utilizing your cashflow.

Hoping to meet some like minded individuals that can help me understand what I am planning to get into, I want to start young and utilize my main benefit which is time. 

What I would do as a new investor is this:First, utilize all the free resources on here to gain valuable knowledge from experienced real estate investors.

@Tony MarcelleLet's just say that in my experience, a records-keeping county courthouse employee worker with a calling for serving the public has an awful lot in common with a unicorn.

What are some of the most common mistakes that newbies make.    

I can set reminders and what not to remind myself... but I was curious if anyone had utilized something like Excel to track their communications with people.