One way to really get your feet wet is to volunteer to 'swing a hammer' for someone on a project they are working on.  

I currently have a Ford Focus, it’s starting to cough and wheeze and running on its last leg.

Same for kitchens...cheap particle board cabinets will disintegrate the first time they get wet.

All helpful info and I still plan to buy in Baltimore even if it was not a home run deal just to get my feet wet.

all basements get wet and flood its the rare one that does not.

After all, California is just irrigated desert anyway.And the weather north of let's say, Santa Cruz, is way too wet for me.

My brother and I are in the process of starting our realestate business and we were thinking to start with tax sale auction properties but in reading and getting educated about about it we have come to realize that these properties are "as is" and we are not allowed to inspect them so we are afraid of getting burned before we even get our feet wet...

It does seem to happen quickly once you get the ball rolling or start to get your feet wet.

Try doing this in Atlanta first, to get your feet wet. 

They require a ton of paperwork and their offices still require "wet signatures" to function so it makes it a challenge to get everything done in a timely manner.