Many experienced agents don't have the time or patience anymore and you'll learn from those deals that more often have challenging inspection issues, appraisal work orders, etc.

., Valerie this is a ton of useful information and it does scare me trying to get into a market that is a 2 hr drive.I simply can’t jump in the car and check on thinks or manage as I could if I could find something in Asheville (35 minutes away).My goal in contacting a realtor was following Brandon’s 30 steps in assessing a market such as average selling price, REO prices, length of time on market and what areas are seeing the most growth etc...He was very helpful and informed me that 9100 homes have sold in the last 12 months in the area and was very specific about what areas are seeing the most growth.He also gave me a list of large companies moving to the area, but again 2 hr drive is going to be a huge challenge especially for a newbie.

I've already gotten tons of great ideas from it and I like the challenge of coming up with creative ways to put deals together.What I'm looking to get out of this site: I'm sure my goals will evolve over time, but right now I'm looking for two things.

If you enjoy the challenge of trying to improve your investment, being hands on, and possibly making a better return.... go with real estate.

They are not easy and they can be an administrative pain, most experienced realtors will tell you the challenges that you will face with a short-sale.

Looking to get back in the game and eventually turn it full time.My biggest challenge now is locating and making a deal on something that makes sense.  

Luis,          This is always an ongoing challenge.

The challenge is finding one that really will actually train.

My wife and I hosted a pool party last summer at our house and Roby and Beth and their children attended.  

Ryan, great decision to take the plunge, if me and my wife were children free, we would definitely go for a house hack today, it makes crazy awesome sense to do this.Here are a few pointers:1) Use an experienced 203k lender, not someone that has done (1) or (2) just google 203k lender for your immediate area, call (3) get best rate, listen to experience pick (1)2) Its all about value, in some cases you can go 110% of appraised value, giving you more money for your renovation if you need it, depends on your situation and market.