My realtor has put time and energy into submitting low offers and negotiating on value-add properties at price points below her norm on my behalf.

As your life cycle reaches maturity and lower energy you begin to use 1031 exchanges to move from active management properties to passive management properties and from lots of properties to fewer properties (consolidate).5.

I always understood that real estate could be a good investment, but the payoff never seemed to be worth the time and energy investment... or the risk.

Until then, I won't be making any money, and would have to find another way to support myself, and I just don't have the energy to pull 12-16 hour days.But if I could land a salaried assistant position, I could earn more than what I make now, build up some capital, learn more about the business, and then transition into real estate sales.But how do I get past the "must have experience" hurdle?

GHP stated that since April 2010, Houston has added over 736,000 residents and that energy industry layoffs have been offset by job creation in other sectors."

Bite the bullet and get a pro membership on BP and use the analysis tool on as many properties as you can find that look interesting to YOU.

Sometimes they're pretty straightforward and easy to sort through, other times they are VERY bizarre and require a lot more time and mental energy to figure out.

Having 500K is helpful but it is by no means a magic bullet. 

Other parts of the country may get a boost from low energy prices. 

I get energy from others like myself who want to bounce ideas/concepts off others.