Welcome @Rebecca Morris,These are the 10 first steps I would recommend to get started in REI (real estate investing):1) Educate Yourself: Read books, take online courses, and attend seminars about real estate basics, market trends, and investment strategies.2) Set Clear Goals: Define what you want to achieve in real estate—whether it’s buying a home, investing in rental properties, or flipping houses.3) Choose Your Niche: Decide if you want to focus on residential, commercial, or industrial real estate, or perhaps a mix of these.4) Research the Market: Analyze your local real estate market.

Educate yourself on the local market, network with other investors and agents, and always have a solid plan in place before making any investments. 

You'll need to get good at analyzing rehab costs and predicting after-repair value (ARV) to ensure your margins are solid.To get started, immerse yourself in real estate education—read books, listen to podcasts, and use BiggerPockets to connect with experienced investors.

You can also check meetup.com or search Facebook for real estate investment groups, clubs, or meetings in your area.You should get a basic education of how to invest in real estate. 1.

Lots of free info and education out there but if that was enough you wouldn't be on here asking.there's too much to it to explain on a forum post, but that doesn't mean it's hard.just make sure you get the price right and finding help or JV will be easy.

Start with education - Read books, join local investor groups & find a mentor.

This is why I emphasize education of real estate principles, law and finance are essential for the real estate investor.  

Furthermore, you may want to educate yourself on the topic of debt to income (you know the original topic of this post).

I called them out first that 30% is a joke and you cannot give that to investors and secondly cash on cash is not even a metric to be used for notes.Atleast he got to use some of that $10,000 education they probably paid for to post on social media. 

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!