With that being said, I bought a couple of "how to" books and guru home study course.

I'm developing my ability to valuate properties through study and practice with local properties.

You've studied and now you are ready to buy your first house.Congratulations, many study but never buy.There are so many different things you can do in real estate.But the best advice I was given wasPick one strategy and master it, then add other strategies.What is the one strategy that you want to pursue?

I got my RE license last year and assigning properties is discussed, in a small part, in the studying materials.I have personally done over 50 Wholesale deals in the last 4 years and the legality of it has never ONCE come up.Talk to a good lawyer and RE agent.This is the key here: You ARE not selling the property itself.....you are selling the paper , the contract, of which the property is attached to.

Which leads me to ask how you studied for your exam?

You can study the market trend at the Board of Realtors Office of at any Realtor's Office.For those that have four seasons and snow, you would think it would be as you suggested, but December is really a decent month.

I was previously in school studying software engineering, and then switched to art history (much more interesting imo).

(blockshopper) With a little research and hard work (studying) you can put together a mean buyer seller connection.

I've been studying the market now here for a bit, and would like to finally make a move in the next few months.

I am a new investor in that I have not done an deals yet, but I have been studying and reading up on investing for a couple of years now.