Colin,Just because God din't give you the skills to play classical piano doesn't mean you can't work with what you love.

Is there a system that allow you keep all of your real estate investing business in one system to keep up with it easy or more organized or just what are some of your methods, please.

This is an opportunity for you to put your negotiating skills to a test.

It really depends on your actual skill level, and what the alternative use of your time is.

Do you have any special skills that could be applied to a rehab project (trade skills or prior experience helping family fix up a property)?

The biggest issue is when they are good at one skill but not at the full process from start to finish.

Peter,They used to have an office in Lake Oswego just off of I-5 at 205.Try google and you will find a couple of hits as there are two organizations the last time I looked.There is also a national organization so you can get local details there.Do you know about the NWREII group?

Even if you are just starting out there are things you might have done in the past which you can build on.Do you have any trade skills (licensed plumber, etc)?

Improving your math skills if they are not great is another key skill.Part-time work: Property management, construction, sales in a hardware store, almost any sales job where you are dealing with the public on a regular basis, working as a support person for a real estate agent who is very active (marketing, web support, etc), admin work for a mortgage broker.

Also if the option puts little pressure on the seller then they may be fine with a much smaller amount for option consideration.The how you do it is the same as when you use $10,000.The why a seller would agree and being able to successfully get your deal accepted by the seller requires a bit more skill at the margins.Note that a $10 earnest money or a $10 option consideration payment makes for a good story.