2) What were some of the mistakes you made and how might I be able to avoid them?

I might make many mistakes along the way with no help. 

I might make many mistakes along the way with no help. 

I briefly had my own one man firm going for a hot minute back in the 00's and quickly decided it was a lot of extra work (having to make sure you file all the various forms, maintain a 100% perfect trust account, etc and if you make even an honest mistake and get caught, then its all on you and its not good!)

George,The first mistake is using an Agent to do a lease option.  

I found this out the hard way multiple times when I owned a condo in Kona and swore I'd never rent out another property long-term to the local economy ever again, and made the mistake of doing it this last time.

Episode 80 with Jonna Weber, where she discussed the property on which she and her family had to take a loss, told me that we weren't the only ones that made a mistake, and that there were ways out. 

Ah yes my mistake in my rushed calculation.

I am highly motivated and rarely fail at anything, but when I do, I pick myself up, analyze the mistakes I've made, and provide an immediate and long term solution.

It's so much easier to make mistakes when capital is idle and you want to force returns.