@Cliff Hirtle , @Justin Silverio 's Meetup has no selling speakers, and my Black Diamond group has no selling speakers, mentorship programs, classes or even memberships.

If I was out of town and looking, I'd be checking out DTLA, Culver City, North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Long Beach, and Costa Mesa, because they all sort of attract and sustain young working class families, and that's the type of MFR renter I'm familiar with, and those neighborhoods are somewhat affordable, albeit a tad sketchy in some areas.Now, if I had a bigger budget and better knowledge on the ins and outs of newer developments, I'd be checking out Santa Monica, Brentwood, Venice, and Huntington Beach, because they're nicer neighborhoods.What are you looking for?

Get rid of the guru books and start out in the very beginning with RE text books used in RE classes for Agents and RE 101 College text books, anyone who can read at a 9th grade level can study the basics.After that you can look at strategies and mailing out your yellow or colored letters.

Question now is how much for maintenance, repairs, required improvements, such could take half, 2,000 a year per property, if so, you're back to the same rents Properties at the bottom usually don't appreciate except as to rents, so there really isn't anything to even closely count on or consider.Now, consider the hassle factor, class of tenants, dealing with local officials, ordinances, even reputation.

You have to take some class and a test.

but there are many many more cities than those. there are plenty of places where 20k buys you a decent house in a decent neighborhood. for example, the house im in the process on right now is 22k, nice working class neighborhood, and comes with a 4yr tenant at 450/m. and also if you leveraged the 20k with four of these, you are spreading out your "eggs" between 4 baskets.

You might offer a seminar or class to a group you could find on meetup.com of investors or at a REIA group in your area?

Every contractor, including painters, who works in the state is supposed to take a class and become a "lead safe renovator".

I just finished and passed my real estate class just have to take exam and I don't remember every hearing that a seller can just up and cancel just because they feel like it.

I have an opportunity to get a mortgage for the first time ever (due to a confluence of positive circumstances such as mortgage rates, my DtoI ratio, my wife working, etc) and am inclined to get two or three, thinking that a good SFD is almost always going to be a good bet if it flows and doesn't need a new HVAC or roof for some time, and even if housing prices drop due to major economic fundamentals going awry such as a stock market bubble burst or our debt problems coming home to roost, or the middle class going the way of the dodo bird ...