Deals seem to be MUCH easier to find there however, but I have no shortage of determination and I know I really just need to get that first deal to get me going and I have no doubt I have the knowledge, skills, and determination to become very sucessfull.I appreciate all the feedback and offered motivation but what I really need is a direction of where to start.

My phone is ringing but my skills in this are a bit green.

Even though you may not have a ton of money/credit to offer a mentor/partnership, your contracting skills/knowledge are certainly valuable.

If he had called first (especially at night), and I believed he had the skills to do the change out, I would have given him the go ahead and instructed him to buy a better knob!

It is the unfair way they take fees from their investors that makes them money.If you have time and professional skills in real estate, you may also raise money to form your own hedge fund.

I took some classes from Robert Kiyosaki which were very informative. although they just kind of tease you into the next level of their class so i really just want to cheat and get to know people that are skilled in real estate investing without spending thousands of dollars.

- All the new skills I've developed to estimate house repairs.

You said that you have done some contracting, so put that skill to work.

A lot of that is luck, some skill, location, and ambition.

Those are my prices -- I'm guessing other investors/builders could probably invest for less or more, depending on their scale, skills and finish level.