On top of that I am Canadian (eh), so that adds another layer to the difficulty in getting started in the States (poor me, I know)Now, if there are any of you out there that have gone through this process, and have managed to get their first deal in the past year, I would love to hear about it! 

It's already a first investment for you, it's out of a state, layering a "value add" scenario just increases your risk profile.3.)

They are acting as an agent without the laws, ethics requirements, education, and insurance that are vital IMO.

Asset Protection is not 100% protection, the way I understand it is, it's more a layer, like an onion, it takes time and money to peel the layers and it makes it harder to get to you and your assets.  

You need to look beyond that layer and start focusing on the next layer of branches.

I guess per MA state law, you cant rent to someone with a child younger than 6yrs of age.Even if the kid is 8yrs old, I cant stop him from peeling 5 layers of paint and eating the layer with lead paint. 

@Pancham Gupta@Kim VandermarkI had an hour phone consultation with an Estate planning adviser, then met in person with a layer, and had another phone consultation with another layer.  

This doesn't have to be for every property, but if you can't visit the market at least once, then you are adding a layer of risk to what is already a risky investment strategy - OOS investing.  

Networking in real estate investing is vital so don’t be daunted and go to the events!

While all of these are vital for many different reasons my suggestion would be to find what really fits YOUR lifestyle.There is no wrong or right with which direction you take in RE (As long as you do your due diligence of course) just as long as it fits YOUR lifestyle because in the end you need to be happy and confident in what you do and not try to pursue someone else's  direction simply because they have had success in it.One of the best ways to really gain the knowledge you seek is after you pin down you niche really reach out to those in that specific field.