That doesn't mean it's a walk in the park.So I'd say it's a different happy than an afternoon at the beach, but as a professional and growth activity, that it makes me happy.

You can handle the drive.

I drive through it daily and am always amazed at how quick listings sell there.

Over the past year, I've focused much of my time on personal growth and development, pretty much reading everything I can get my hands on :).

If you have more than one meeting within an hour drive of where you live, attend them all.

Also - the newspaper will tell you a lot, or simply drive around and look for "for rent" signs.

This could be done without paying a real estate commission, seller concessions and other things that end up driving fees up to 10% of your sales price, though it would take some work on your part to advertise it.

I've decided that we should focus on Austin, TX as our main starting point as it is one of the top cities in the country for population growth, employment, and low unemployment numbers.My wife and I have decided to take nearly a month off of work and fly our family (Me, my wife Victoria, 14mo old baby Jude, and mother-in-law) from Seoul to Austin so I can learn the market and try my best to find some deals within that short time period.

If you want to leave an agent out of it for now there's still lots you can do.a) Research the MLS to determine prices.b) Drive around the neighborhoods/zip codes you want to invest in to really get to know the area.c) Even better, park the car and walk the neighborhood.

I drive through that area every day on my way to work.