that you just don't know because the beginner investor has no personal experience to fall back on.   

Fill in the foundation below.Check out the Start Here page http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere Check out BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginner's Guide - A fantastic free book that walks through many of the key topics of real estate investing.Check out the free BiggerPockets Podcast - A weekly podcast with interviews and a ton of great advice.

If you haven't already done so, I recommend you start with downloading and reading "The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Investing in Real Estate" found here on the BP website.

I suggest though since you're a beginner that you STAY AWAY from HUD because it does not have an inspection contingency.

@Harvey GreensteinI think the most important thing is to educate yourself first.Make sure to check out the Ultimate Beginners guide to real estate investinghttp://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investingOnce you have finished this I would find an experienced investor in your area, if you are having a hard time finding someone I would recommend finding a local REI.

Build your knowledge about how to evaluate & structure deals, how to find bargains, and build a track record and people will lend.I suggest you start out with the Ultimate Free Beginners Guide here on BP and check out the podcasts if you haven't already.

Hello everybody. Let me introduce myself first: my name is Natasha and I am a student at UNLV. I live in Las Vegas, Nevada. I have been renting for a while now and I would like to buy a townhouse or a medium sized ...

I've been hearing a lot of beginners say that they are looking for a mentor, and I've also been hearing a lot of experienced investors say that a mentor is the best way to go.But I was wondering, how many of you all started out in real estate on your own?

My Realtor could not find three good ones for this current property.Me being the beginner that I am, do you think I can get financing with these comps in this picture (also, just take my word, the 2 sold comps with 0.5 mile radius of the house.

Think of this as a vaccination of sorts if your investment portfolio is small or you at beginner status.