It took time to build this team but after many calls, many poor responses, many non call backs, many "we can't help you", I was able to find people that wanted to be a team and work with me.I have purchased $1000's in US real estate material, searched the internet for private money, invest time to increase my knowledge in US real estate, been on many webinars (still do) and continue to read and listen to real estate and motivational CDs.  

seeking a mentor in the area.  

I am always seeking new ways to provide and abundant life of health wealth love and happiness for myself and my daughters .

Seeking out knowledge on finding funding for my deals

Have you ran his through the BP Rental Property Calculator to see if it might be worth seeking another for yourself in the same community as your first rental property?

There is no rule set in stone that real estate will always enjoy such a favored tax status.In fact since populism is increasing and most Americans don't receive these benefits, they are at risk more so than in the past.  

I just graduated from college and have run several businesses over the past 6 years that hopefully helps increase my ability to do real estate investing.

I use Homeaway.comI started off below market rates to create demand and increase my 5 star reviews.I no stay packed and push my price to the higher end.

@Josh StewartThe mortgage lender i mention above did say that for a cash out i will need to wait 6 months...so i will adjust my numbers for the holding costs increase. 

Depending on the value of the property you will need to show up with $x,000 in certified funds to register to bid and if you are the high bidder you will need to increase your deposit to y% (typically 10%) of the high bid within a couple of business days. 30 days settlement is standard, so financing is possible.The difference in risk level between private auctions and foreclosures is huge.