Another way I've considered using to gain knowledge of the industry is to find a job doing something related to real estate.

If you sign into any of the several websites (airbnb, homeaway, flipkey, etc) that makeup the online rental industry, you have access to the calender of any property listed.

I think you can very honestly say that, as Matt says, that your informal partners are industry professionals and lenders.

Dave and Frank are THE experts on that industry.

We wanted to turn it over as quickly as we could to reduce holding costs, yet we both have demanding full-time jobs (teacher and mortgage industry) and two little kids (5 and 2).

As my time in the investment and RE industry has progressed, I am looking to move into the commercial real estate area, with specialized knowledge in retail properties.

As someone who is living abroad.The world is rapidly changing, because we are becoming highly globalized.With the ability to fly almost anywhere within a 36 hour period.The internet is allowing me, living in Korea to write about this.My new smartphone is more powerful and has more hard drive space, (plus I think it's amazing) than my first computer.You concern that American real estate is going to become like the manufacturing sector is interesting, but nothing to fear.You job as an investor isn't being outsourced.Would you feel the same way if (insert big bank, BofA, etc) came in and bought all the properties?

@Leslie A. gives some great advise about mobile homes and I enjoyed her comments with regards to people having their negative opinions about the industry.

If you have a property that has recently been acquired and has no tax returns filed then the general rule is 75% of gross rents minus PITIA.The exception to the rule is if you rapidly acquired multiple properties in the recent year and those properties were different that what you were used to managing such as a purchase of industrial real estate when you were a SFR investor.

Hard to tell on my smartphone.