I still have a long way ahead, but i can gladly say that thanks to many Pros including yourself and many others on the site i have gained tremendous knowledge.

Thanks for your help.If anyone knows someone that has a similar investment strategy and needs some help I'd love to shadow/help anyway I can to gain experience.

That means the gain when you sell is greater.

My wife and I got into real estate investing last year as a means to gain some financial freedom, diversification, and to subsidize our farming hobby.We're buy and hold investing in multi-family properties right now, with one property closed this year and another very soon.

As for the mentor idea I've never done anything like that, but it seems to me there's better ways to gain experience.

Maybe you will get lucky, own it for the next 21 years, pay it off and actually have a valuable asset.

A good management company will do a better job than you will and over the long term will be very valuable to you.There are many good markets around the U.S. today, so don't limit yourself.

I truly love learning new things, and feel that Real Estate provides a great opportunity to develop a new passion while (hopefully) gaining financial freedom down the road.

Also - be sure to read through "The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Real Estate Investing" to gain a good foundation!

I'm just finishing up J Scott's books, which have been extremely valuable too.