I am new to real estate investing-- just in the beginning, learning stages.

While we are still in the early stages of our business planning, we are thinking a couple flips a year for additional income while also building a rental portfolio for long term wealth.

March 2017 got our first project and now June 24th  we have 11 projects purchased at various stages of completion.

I am in the electrical and plumbing rough stages of this rehab. 

I was about to begin by 'focusing' on cooperative lease options (no credit, money down, low risk, etc.) until the next staged 'correction...' but apparently that's only around 5% of the deals they're currently doing, while 85% are near to full price (to mainly to foreign investors?)

I'm just at the beginning stages of researching the possibilities and issues. 

I just wonder if we are reaching that "out of control" stage in the IE again..........Steve

With this being said staging a house poorly will also not have a desirable effect your looking to achieve.  

I have shadowed a local investor in looking for rehab properties, participated in auctions by the court steps, getting my hands dirty renovating the properties, staging for open houses, hosting open house, and signing loan docs (i'm a notary).

Now that I am past that stage in life I still own the duplex and it cash flows handsomely however I no longer rent it by the bed.I would recommend going to school for something that is in demand in the job market even if it is not what you want to do with your life (nursing, dentist, engineering).