I would suggest starting with wholesaling since it requires no money down (other than marketing costs) and can generate cash you'll need for future down payments, it will also give you the skills to find motivated sellers and under-priced houses.There are countless articles on BP and other places to find ways to find motivated sellers so I won't bore you with them here and definitely check out the book, The Wholesaling Bible by Than Merrill to get started.Dallas MF have been great for me and it seems like they just keep going up and up.  

Risk is baked into pricing of RE assets, so your skill as a REI is what makes the difference.

Research, networking, rejection, and negotiation skills are just some of the traits you must possess.

As a few others mentioned he didn't have a dumpster and had to haul trash out everyday, and he worked with a skilled investor on permitting and the construction aspect of the project.

In my opinion a certification is not necessary, I would base it more on the agent's skills and abilities.

Haven't worked it out yet but I have a great network, good analysis skills, and don't need to make a lot of money at it. 

Totally different objectives and skill sets. 

Buying a home these days, especially in southern CA can be, and was, a headache but reading about all the success stories on BP helped me keep on the path....64 days to close escrow, HOA unwilling to fix section 1 termite damage (still have to go to court for this one), dealing with VA appraisals and financing, properties selling for $40k over asking price, properties with accepted offers in under a week....All circumstances that had to be negotiated but were eventually overcome.Thanks again everyone and I look forward to building a relationship with you all.

I am a Financial Analyst and have the skills to manage the finances as well as do forward looking analysis to evaluate the financial impact of the association's decisions.After getting the hang of the book keeping items, collecting fees, blah blah....I began to (per advice received on BP) get comfy with the declarations and by laws and making sure we are compliant with the governing body of documents.That is where I ended up on the phone with the insurance agent. 

But I am excited to try my skills at negotiating and see what happens.