I'll actually be back in college during this time in Spokane.

Also side note, do not be fooled by looking at the calendar dates for Air BnB properties, just because it shows certain dates as "booked" or "unavailable" doesn't actually mean it is being rented out at that time.

"stop reading and actually beginning to build a portfolio" - The jump that most people never take!

I had a real estate broker license for about 30 years but I never did that full time.Always remember to do the math analysis on your prospects and try to look at them before you make an offer or at least have a clause in the sales contract that allows you the time (usually about 15 days) to make a detailed inspection of the subject property and possibly back out of the deal without a penalty that will excessively hurt you.There is so much to say to you but I am bound to forget something.  

@Ammon Ellison I actually haven't tried J Scott's idea yet.

Does anyone have any idea what this would do to resale value of the home - owning the actual property outright as opposed to owning the building and ground renting?

You should definitely see the last 6-12 months of actual performance. 

Still it shows even experienced brokers either don't understand or don't read the actual contracts.  

He is a seasoned contractor, and when I worked in that space, we have actually completed projects together.

I actually heard about the the Dinner with a Mentor meet up through Rod Khleif's podcast.