For the past 2 months I have been inhaling all the literature I can get my hands on and have been attending local REI meetings and networking with fellow investors.I will be sure to check out the beginners guide when I can get a chance, from what I've heard, it sounds like a great read.

It's possible to buy a home remotely but it's not the best situation and the chances for making a mistake are much higher.My wife and I and my son stayed in an executive suites hotel (hotel with kitchen, cable and computer acces, living area, etc.

Thanks, DarwinGet preapproved, they can tell you what price they will consider, then you go shopping knowing you can have a chance of getting that loan amount required.

So I assumed California was very pro-tenant.If I can evict a tenant quickly I'm more likely to take a chance vs. if it takes me 6-months to evict a tenant I'm only going to rent to the most credit worthy individuals.

You could get very lucky, but few will take a chance on someone with no experience.

If a seller here can afford to wait it out and pay for certain things like closing, title insurance, and simple repairs; you can't offer a low price because they would not take you serious and you can lose your chance.  

If the bank owns the mortgage in-house you will probably have a much better chance of success trying to work with them. 

So I'm glad to know I have a good chance at making that a part of my portfolio down the road.  

All those PCS moves can be rough but it can also give you a chance to get invested in a couple different markets.

Their is a wealth of information on the forums and chances are someone else has already been in a situation similar to yourself.