You need to be able to communicate effectively with the person painting walls as well as the person underwriting your loans.I think a STEM field would give him more options but get that's a hard sell if he's set on real estate.That being said, much to the chagrin of my family of educators, I flunked out of a couple colleges before I was 21, and had almost clawed my way to an associates degree before I took a semester break two and half years ago when we were expecting our daughter.

So far I've been able to download ream loads of data from our local real estate association, although that is county level data, it consists of market inventory , days on market, median sales price , foreclosure rate. 

Ask them if they are members of the national association of property managers.

With Washington, DC, and Aliso Viejo, CA. being such high rent neighborhoods, buying right still covers the mortgage and any association fees. 

These generally include the following: attorney, title insurance, title search fees, escrows (eg home insurance, taxes), pre-paids(eg home insurance, taxes, first mortgage payment), recording fees, survey.

I don't typically recommend buying properties with a negative cash flow (there are rare exceptions), but because of the transaction costs associated with selling, it often makes sense to continue to hold one that you already own.

Once you find a niche, dive in and learn all terms and tactics associated with it by reading books, listening to podcasts, and using this forum.3.

The thing that seems to be the trickiest for me is estimating rehab costs and knowing CapEx/Repair costs associated with the properties.  

@Charles D.We have found the Wa State LL Association to be a great deal, we use them for leases and all forms and support.

There are good and bad associated with them and they are state by state and must do thorough due diligence and have an attorney who knows them well.