I've taken it rather serious that I'm going to start my REI adventure as a business and not a hobby.

Yes I am planning on reading more books on this adventure.

These tasks are usually pretty small and one-off to engage a specific vendor, but it's certainly an option.

It's a simple task that seems to be something that would keep them happy. 

@Jason SchwabGood luck on your new adventure!

Along with these tasks, are there things I should be doing currently or should plan to do in the future to better prepare me for Real Estate Investing?

One needs to pay attention not to the actors, but to the tasks to be done.

How do you want to get started in the REI adventure?  

Typically I find that owners and PMs benefit from software when they want to automate daily tasks and improve cash flow.

. :) Meanwhile, I can still start my loan origination tasks without a fully ratified contract.At the end of the day, we followed all the rules and this loan will be salable on the secondary market and insured by the Federal Housing Administration.