I also ended up buying flipping houses by J Scott, and a few others, the first real estate book i read was J Scott's book on flipping homes..incredible read, then i read Rich dad, poor dad this book is now in my top 3 favorite books, an wholesaling book, and currently 200 some pages into the millionaire real estate investor, my wheels are already spinning out how i can put my tech skills to work on a personel website for automating some of the marketing, network, and prospecting portion. 

They only lift the bag high into the air when they drop it into their truck.It probably depends on how skilled the truck driver / crane operator is.

Underwriting is a skill I've spent a lot of time learning and perfecting. 

I never understood...well until I bought a guitar and learned the process/skill.

If they are unwilling to do this, then you really don't have investors behind you.Whatever you do, don't waste peoples time.

These skills will certainly help but...I’m thinking about going back to school to become a certified electrician or for HVAC but I’m not sure which would be more beneficial?

It is an unchartered territory where law, people skills count.

This is a budget I can work with for now, learn a few more things in this deal and hone my skills. 

If you manage/landlord your own property, you need skills in landlording.

I'm currently interested in East Bay (Alameda & Contra Costa) as well as Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Merced, Solano and Sacramento counties.As an absolute beginner (this is my very first post) and currently working a full-time job (unrelated to RE), my main objective is to learn different REI skills hands-on.What I bring to the table:1) Funds - possibly for 10% to 25% of down payment (widely depending on deal/rehab costs, of course)2) Hustle - evenings and weekends could be 100% dedicated to REI (finding/analyzing deals, meetups, cold calling, drafting/reviewing, whatever I can help with)I would love to learn at least one of these skills:1) Finding off-market deals2) Estimating rehab costs3) Managing contractors4) Managing tenants5) Negotiating dealsI'm hoping someday I'd be able to add value beyond funds and be part of a great REI team :)If you're interested in connecting, please let me know.Best,JC