If your looking for any help with properties, searching, analyzing, renovation cost, design.

Has anyone ever taken these classes and gotten the designation?

As the owner of an Accredited Management Organization (AMO), I instruct my clients to monitor all aspects of the lease, specifically tenant responsibilities to maintain mechanical systems, repair of roofing and parking areas, etc.

LOLRE usually falls under the department of finance in business colleges.To get started in a formal education without heading toward a degree program that fits well with real estate, I suggest these areas of undergrad study.Economics 101 and 102Accounting 101 and 102, if you can take managerial accountingPersonal Finance, Money & BankingBusiness Finance 101 and 102 or similar levelsPrinciples of Real EstateBusiness Law and Legal ConceptsThese 10 classes or 30 hours would be a good foundation for RE.There are other courses that can be more specific, like construction management, municiple zoning and design as well as others.Depending on the benefits you might be looking at, you may look into an Associates Degree program at a local university in real estate or finance.IMO, good luck.... :)

I'm still a newbie to investing, don't even have my first property yet, but I served 6 in the Navy as a Nuke mechanic on submarines, got out in October of 2010.

I don't think it is a question or comparison, in dealing with So Cal homes, you need to go custom, it allows you the ability to design the kitchen to your specs, get custom stain, and the resale value of a custom kitchen over stock cabinets is so much better.

I want to keep some of the original characteristic of this house but at the same thing bring in some newer design into the property. 

They seem very similar in theory, but I am sure the mechanics are different.

At the time I wasn't sure of the mechanics involved with underwriting when presented with multiple properties (ie SFR and a MFR <4).So that's my story in looking at "portfolio"....Now, if you state that the only requirement is additional down, I can handle that because I would rather have a lower percentage (4%-5%) than a higher one (6%+) and especially not too much more than required to put down.

He then introduced me to Frank who was the guy who let us in and he was a mechanic who's fulltime job was to take care of all the cars...What a job!