With paper securities you have nothing to touch or see and no control over its performance.I don't know about flipping as a first venture into this with a full-time job and a baby on the way.  

Other positive effects of choosing this path - my credit score jumped from 650 to over 800 and my net worth is close to $1m (totally on paper, at least for now!).  

If you are working with a trusted mentor, take his or her advice on this one and keep everything on paper and timed right.

@Jonathan Towell Since you asked me to keep you up to date on my marketing efforts!

And definitely not a lot of Value-Add opportunities, I'm looking in the outlying areas: Tacoma, Tri-Cities, Everett, Spokane, my take on this is once you start seeing articles about where a great place to invest in in the papers, it's already too late.  

Of greater importance is:Don't get sucked into D class being great cash flow its only great cash flow on paper generally... the reason its D class is you WILL NOT get consistent cash flow.. that's what makes it D class or one of the attributes to the Classification of these assets from A to FI call them paper tigers... :)

I am getting my RE license so I can have unrestricted access to properties and not have to use a realtor to show me properties.If a realtor feeds me a property that I end up buying I have no problem signing a property specific agreement that is required for inclusion in the offer they submit on my behalf.In my short time trying to enter the RE business I have met several realtors who what you to commit to them and then just want to feed you automated listings without ever providing any property/area analysis, comps or anything else.They want me to screen the automated emails for them and they just submit the offer....that is not what I need a realtor for, if a realtor has no time or willingness to earn my business by actually demonstrating what value they can bring to the table by screening properties with actual details/analysis & numbers and forwarding those to me so I can determine if they really do understand my needs or if they just want to be an administrative paper processor submitting the offer and contract paperwork after I do all the research...not interested.  

Only exception may be sweet terms where you can value add the paper for very little of your own money.  

@Jonathan Towell hit it right in.

Big buckets of crab, brown paper table cloth, cool atmosphere.