In the long run overall experience will help the person taking action and give them the confidence to make decisions that yield the best result.  

Ok, now that you have taken your initial step, below are some quick links to get engaged.1st. you will not have access to MLS without being a RE agent.

Like the Vanguard paradox,  dyed in the wool index folks who also offer some active funds, you see some variation here both among investors and across markets, even some contrasting views...And, as mentioned above, part of the allure in RE is profiting by your own hand, inefficient markets, and higher returns....And I may be deranged, but I find it fun and engaging  and you get all sorts of challenges, good and bad (where all my index funds are pretty boring to look at even when they grow, but boring in a good way...)

Hi Rico, I started pre-bigger pockets, but some of the buy and hold, landlord books gave me the confidence that I could "do it"... 

I think everybody who is an entrepreneur has confidence trouble especially when things aren't going as well as you hoped, or when people "who know more" tell you your business.

There have been a decent amount of distressed sales in the neighborhood, so I am not completely confident in my ARV with a completely rehabbed property.So, would anyone with MLS access be willing to look at my target property and give just a quick estimate on resale value/ARV?  

My story: I have been wanting to start in real estate for a very long time, and since coming across this website and a few others I do have a little more confidence to move forward. but my anxiety is making it hard for me to take the steps I need to take.

Confidence goes a long way and knowing you are going to be great at something changes how you approach it.

We have many investor clients and to the best of my knowledge none has engaged a real estate attorney.

We had several incidents of repairs that were paid for and did not happen, vacant properties without any engagement for months, and an overall lack of interest in our business.