I know that there is not a hands off way to truly invest in real estate the way that I would like to be involved in it, but my ultimate goal is to do this part time and build a good reputation over time so that when I retire in about 10 years I can move into REI as a second career.

Check out "The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Real Estate Investing."

A partner could be a family member or friend, a neighbor, a colleague, someone from BP, etc.I would recommend reading the Ultimate Beginner's Guide and listening to the podcasts...several of the guests talk about partnerships.

Be sure to check out the Ultimate Beginner's Guide, and spend some time on the BiggerPockets site.

Enduring success is not the result of luck, it is the result of knowledge.Seller financing can be the ultimate finance option for both the buyer and seller.

Read through the "Ultimate Beginner's Guide" as well as listen to the Podcasts.

I spent almost a year learning about real estate (mostly here on BiggerPockets), so spend as much time as you can learning and developing a plan.A good starting point is the Ultimate Beginner's Guide , it is a great overview of real estate investing.

I have found other seminars by Than Merril and Lifestylesunlimited that ultimately want you to pay a lot of money for their advice. 

Then they can appeal and play legal games before ultimately settling the suit.  

Fill in the foundation below.Check out the Start Here page http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere Check out BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginner's Guide - A fantastic free book that walks through many of the key topics of real estate investing.Check out the free BiggerPockets Podcast - A weekly podcast with interviews and a ton of great advice.