Also, there are tax benefits that you cannot get with most investments, you can borrow 80% of value, while it still earns a return.

How can any of these answers even help you if we don't know where you live, what your goals are, how much capital you have saved, what you earn, what your why is, and like a hundred other things.If you want a tip that will really help you it would be to provide some background first and then ask a tighter question based on what you have read about or listened to on podcasts.

As a fellow Northerner, I tend to buy in the Southern half of the US for 2 reasons:1) you get much higher year-round occupancy rates in the South & it’s simply tough to earn a good ROI in the North if your place sits vacant for a big chunk of the year2) Culturally, the Southern half of the US seems to be a lot more accepting of STRs regulation-wise.

The cash flow you earn from rentals will likely be best spent on maintenance, unexpected expenses, and reinvesting in future opportunities.

And certainly not worth the risk that you're sending your hard-earned money into a Ponzi scheme. 

Focus on getting your first property, reducing expenses, improving the property, and saving money by earning more. 

The longer the term, the the borrower's ability to pay and the more stable the payment history, the lower you can price the earned interest rate on the note. 

The only thing holding me back is talking to someone who has completed the course and is successfully making a career out of it a few years down the road.

No commission is earned only a fee for their time and expertise.Typically sellers want to avoid attorneys to save the costs.

The biggest mistake I made in my RE investing career early on was being so conservative that I only bought homes for cash, i.e.