He is interested in REI, has good basic knowledge on REI and has more than enough saved up for down but hesitate because of current market, interest rate, rental demand, capex, first investment jitters, draw of stock market, etc, etc. 

Attend open houses to understand market trends.

@Linda PhamAll our midterm rentals are in Colorado as are our clients, so I don't know Houston's market.

I’m not familiar with those markets, but I would suggest finding some meetups and attending as many as you can.

The property was in a great market but needed a full cosmetic rehab and basement finish to add a bedroom and increase resale value.

While I have none in this market I have been on one realtors monthly newsletter with market analysis for over 8 years. 

My focus is simple: helping out-of-state investors like you unlock the full potential of the Birmingham market.

I believe some education programs market themselves as a coaching or mentorship programs.

Too many wholesalers are so eager to get a contract that they lock up properties way above market value, hoping to find a buyer who doesn’t know any better.

Quote from @Marc Zak: In the market where I live (San Diego), appreciation has been strong and many predict it will continue to appreciate in the long term.However, with current interest rates (6% at best) and property tax (2%), the annual cost burden is 8%.Am I correct in saying that appreciation has to be above 8% annually (plus whatever my maintenance and vacancy costs are) for me to make any money in this scenario if the property is cash flow neutral?