I want to start establishing relationships with lenders and perhaps get some hands-on experience in the local market by assisting someone who is already successful on their deals.FUTURE:I plan to make my first (and perhaps second or third) investment before this time next year.

With all due respect to the many excellent attorneys I work with daily.Make sure you have the right insurance, and then go do your first deal.

One can be an excellent agent without the certifications, or a poor agent with a business card full of acronyms.Aside from the normal qualities desired in any professional -- good communication, reliability, diligence, initiative, responsiveness -- a good investors' agent needs to have a level of expertise that's hard to get in a classroom.

You don't need a license to master lease in California and the taxes are less, no self-employment tax like a licensed property manager.Brian, I haven't heard of any relationship between the rate of the DOS being used since this adminstration took charge, if there is I'd say that was a good thing!

An individual needs to perform their due diligence before forming any professional/contractual relationship and that is what I'm trying to accomplish in asking how I can best perform this on a wholesale mentoring program.

There are programs that do this for you but I think you'll learn more if you do it yourself on excel.

Find a area with excellent future job potential, cheaper housing and rising rents.

Excellent credit, enough income to cover all mortgages at the same time, and cash down payments were my ticket .

Thanks Dave and J Scott for your excellent advice.

Try the link below for some excellent reading.