Hi @KarlDreher,How are you and welcome to BP.I currently coordinate monthly educational events in Philadelphia for the Local REIA's.

If you are frequently being outbid then that is just part of the game.

For example, I started a meetup out here in Korea and have helped connect investors and educate others.

However education is key, and you need to study and educate yourself to know junk from gold.Josh

I am doing a lot of research and educating myself on the real estate world.

The seller may simply not be motivated OR you need to educate them about their house.

And now that you're here we'd love to see you be an active member of the BP community so be sure to set up Keywords Alerts for your local area such as "Honolulu" or "Kailua" if you're looking to find potential opportunities for investing, education in a subject, or other members in your area.Use the Find Members area to network with other members who are local to you or are in an area you're wanting to invest in.

Education and experience don't come cheap either.  

The first place I will tell you to start is educate yourself about what type of investing you are going to do.  

And just in case you are new my last post I suggested if you would like to get educated you might try the community colleges in you area.