I grew up outside of Columbia, but when I actually lived in the city, I was spending my time as a tenant/student.

My hometown is Austin so naturally I spend a lot of time there.  

Invest in your education first before you rush out and spend a lot of money on courses and and all of that because this city has a lot of needless distraction if you don't have focus. 

If you assume you've got to properly update a home for a nice neighborhood, how easy is it to spend $150k for a house less than 2000 square feet?  

I didn't say properties...although they still could be.C - By the time you get to Step #3, you can spend the flip profits, but never spend the expanded seed money.

If you find a property management company to work for, you can spend some time learning the business.

However, if a realtor is spending the time to show you listings and drive you around to show you properties, you should use them if you want to buy a property that they've showed you.

@Aaron Klatt I am by no means an expert in Reno so I can't honesty comment on which has more growth but last numbers I heard for Vegas was over $30 Billion in on-going and proposed projects expected to break ground.

those that I know in the industry that are making some big money have fully vertically integrated companies spending 10 to 50k a month or MORE just on marketing.. 

Especially for your first investment with a new provider, the couple hundred bucks you'd spend to verify what they're telling you will pay you back in peace of mind.