Hi @Joe Fairless - two of the biggest mistakes/problems I see are (1) not recognizing that when you bring in investors and give them a percentage of an LLC that is actually a "security" and there are laws that need to be complied with in issuing the security, and (2) not addressing capital call provisions (or other financing options) in the event the venture runs short of capital after the initial round of investment. 

Attended a few seminars in the past and just finished a 3-day workshop today actually haha.

Be sure to check them out and find a few to attend regularly. 

@Brandon Moryl I know that there is a meet-up in the Mason area but I haven't been able to attend because I have RE classes M-W and the meetings are always on Tuesday.

There is a good meetup I attend sometimes on Madison and 29th, next one is October 19th, here is the link: http://www.meetup.com/Multi-family-Apartment-Developer-Real-Estate-Investing/events/226004935/.  

So get out to local REI Clubs, there are many, and I would be happy to share with you Privately my personal experiences at all the ones I attended.

I gained interest in Real estate attending Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.

Also I just looked up Gary Links classes I will definitely be attending the next one.

From 1975 to 2005, the cost of attending public universities in the U.S. tripled.  

I attended one of those " Give me Thousands of Dollars and I'll tell you how to search the internet for cheap houses and investors" workshops, hoping to have an epiphany, and found myself leaving after 50 minutes of sales pitch.