Daphne V. if you are just starting and want to be simple (as well as free potentially) I have no problem telling people to get started on Excel (or Google sheets) to track and categorize expenses.  

@Brian Erlich -Very few (if any) excellent contractors are going to be willing to let the customer buy materials themselves.

Great suggestion!

Not only was it a great opportunity to meet with so many other like-minded people, but an excellent chance to hear some really useful information from the keynote speakers who are obviously very experienced and quite successful in their field of endeavor.

Post up on BP if anyone can offer any suggestions on good contractors in your area.  

@Douglass Benson thank you, that's an excellent idea!  

It's exciting to see how many helpful people are involved in the industry and suggests to me a lot of potential for networking and symbiotic relationships.

It is truly unique, offers excellent ROI and the starting investment is just $10k: Have I Found the Holy Grail of Passive Real Estate Investing?

Any other suggestions ?

To new investors with no management experience, I always suggest to start small enough to do it on your own or to reduce the amount of equity you need to raise.