Im not commenting on the unwillingness to provide details or personal info but in regards to the 12 months in advance that is EXTREMELY common in the Asian community so don't let that part scare you away.

My primary goal from real estate is to generate passive income and amass a large enough portfolio to quit the 9 to 5 grind and earn my financial freedom.

Most common ways of investing in real estate: Buy and hold (i.e. rent houses to other people), buy and flip (i.e. buy something that can have forced appreciation through rehab), build and sell (new construction), finance (lend money to other to do these things).

Unfortunately, this is a common complaint with that lender.. search the forum and you'll see what I mean.Good luck in getting a refund!  

My experience is that I can rent a two bed/one bath upstairs apt for $650/month.Mortgage - $300 (assumption is conventional loan...this is variable)Maintenance - $32.5 (5%)Management - $65 (10%)Property Tax - $50Total Expenses - 447.5Net - $252.5Quite honestly, I think I could make these numbers look better (refinance my duplex and get cash out for much less for example), but I'm curious what others think.I should probably state that my goals for right now are horizontal income without too much work.

The end goal is always to give a platform for my client's listings and an easy way to find properties.

My ultimate goal to start with is to do enough flips to pay for a house of my own in full.  

My advice to you is to polish your skill set and refine your goals.

My goal with REI is to ensure a comfortable lifestyle through a smart and diverse holdings and attain true financial independence; I also want to help other like-minded individuals and do the same! 

My goal in real estate is simply to find a niche suitable to my skills in the market.