Also shop your rates around you may be able to get a better rate.

I discounted for the fact that it is adjacent to a road that is undergoing widening for the next year, rehab costs, holding costs, investor discount, and then I was stuck eating 7% on selling the thing, so I deducted that as well.

Do I need to go to he property and measure the size before shopping or are they mostly a standard width?

It's a one-time thing and not that difficult, as many adjacent blocks will typically be identical.

I'm going to order some T-shirts next week with my bandit sign on them and do all of my shopping, eating etc... in my targeted areas

Why don't you start by wholesaling:Find a great deal, shop it around to other investors in your area (local REIA, Craigslist, calling signs, etc), and then assign your interest for a finders fee.Do this a few times and you'll have your own cash for your own deals...

-Don't be afraid to shop around for a Realtor...95% of them aren't going to have a clue about effectively helping you buy/sell investment property.

IMO, no, you don't need an LLC, but get insurance.If you choose to form an LLC, I don't care for internet form shops really.

I don't wholesale, but from what I have gathered generally wholesalers are working separately form realtors, they find their own deals, and shop them to buyers; no realtor needed.Andrew

My shop teacher flipped houses in the summer, he'd hire some of us kids to help in the summer, I'd say he did very well, fix and flip and buy and hold, I certainly don't have numbers as I had no clue then.First, I'd suggest you not begin by learning the big picture, as a teacher I know you understand that you really need a good overall knowledge in an activity before you specialize.You can really do anything you like, while the days during school might be busy, RE may only take a few minutes in an evening.