@Erik Whiting  I get the U cant eat equity.. rationale.. but there are other uses for equity that are not really talked about on BP simply becasue 95% of the folks here are in one asset class rental houses or units.In other real estate endevours equity is a critical part to enable one to take down different types of debt IE construction and development loans.  

I am willing to volunteer my time to do administrative tasks while I learn.  

Being in the tech space, maybe you want to find a way to blend the two, like others have with different products they've developed and brought to the market.Maybe you'd like to invest passively in real estate, there are a ton of platforms/services/sponsors for that.Then of course there are the more traditional active investing paths like self storage, multifamily, mobile home parks, office, warehouse, parking lots, raw land, the list goes on and on.I recommend researching the different strategies here on BP to figure out which is best for you.

Develop some metrics that make sense for you. 

During my time at school, I befriended two other like-minded guys and together we have discussed the idea of dipping our feet into real estate investment and maybe one day starting a development company. 

Due to this, these markets are now showing strong growth in both rents and development.

Because you're having trouble finding deals, investing some energy into people that already have developed systems and ways of getting you deals could be worth your time, but totally your call!

New development, I was just talking about this circumstance with my neighbor who informed me that they do not own their house, they are renting it in the current owner is getting notices about foreclosure at the property.

Hello,can anyone recommend a CPA specializing in real estate development and construction in Los Angeles?

I'm heavily developing the network direct to business owners for the two buildings, they are similar size/type so that allows me to target easier.