I would like the conversation to steer away from identifying which or whose course you took but rather deal more with the actual substance of the course.  

Please keep in mind that our friends down in San Francisco and up north in Vancouver Canada have been asking themselves the same question for 15 years :-)As a former stockbroker and financial planner I have found that the peak of the market can be very easily identified by canvassing public opinion.  

But I am even more excited to reach my goals.I am hoping to close my first house hacking deal in the Spring of 2017.I currently work full time as a Client Services Account Manager for a Health Insurance company.I enjoy the security and responsibility of my FT job but I also look forward to accomplishing my goals of supplementing my income, setting up a long term “retirement” plan, creating a legacy and ownership for my children and the overall accomplishment of OWNERSHIP.I look forward to using REI as a vehicle to get there.I am very excited to “learn the ropes” and hopefully partner with other seasoned investors in an effort to grow in the business.My initial goal is to establish about $500/month from income properties and to accumulate $100K in cash to start, within the next 2 years.Lofty but doable…I would like to use the “buy, rehab, rent and refinance” as my primary strategy.I would also like to identify a mix of wholesale and fix and flip deals along the way.I have been looking through the forums and posting some questions myself and I would just like to say thank you to everyone!

I could see how it would, but taking the time to knock on every door would really cut down on the amount of properties you could identify, wouldn't it?

Try and identify 3 good comps and find the average.  

I have identified properties and ready to buy however I am looking for a 10% down payment option.

You can identify the two highest retail price ranges, in greatest demand, per zip code where you can list the rehabbed property.You can use the Realtor to help you find deals and also use Wholesalers.

Also helps identify if the home being brought to us is on the MLS or has been in the past, a big indicator of motivation of the seller. 

It is always good to start a relationship with a lender / Mortgage Broker prior to identifying a property as they can give you some great guidance on many of your questions and help you solidify your plan of action.  

I'm not a lawyer but even for a small job you'll need to have the parties identified, the scope of work, the draw schedule (when and how much you will pay the contractor) and any other conditions that are appropriate.