My current personal favorite business and productivity book is Gary Keller's "The One Thing." 

It won't be a problem for you, right up until it is.I can't tell you how many phone calls I've received from new, excited wholesalers that have gone to a seminar where a guru tells them how to operate illegally.Here's the link to MA law on who needs a license - and it definitely covers the favorite dodge of "I'm not selling real estate - I'm only selling my equitable interest in a contract". 

Don't have expensive hobbies (yet) - plenty of awesome fun you can have for free, and plenty of time for the spendy toys later down the road when you are rich.

A favorite trick of sellers is that for one or two years before they put their property up for sale they stop doing any preventive maintenance, and only do the repairs that are absolutely necessary, in the cheapest way possible.  

I am a member of the Metrolina REIA and also apart of a great local meetup: Hobby Millionare ran by a good friend and seasoned investor Bonnie Laslo.

Joel is one of my favorite people on this site!  

Either way, I'm in CA as well (LA) and passive income is my favorite!

My favorite idea that keeps resurfacing is avoiding probate by getting deeds from heirs of deceased owners and then filing a QTA.  

You need to treat real estate as a business and not a hobby.

You'd get a few quotes.Submit a loan application with a national bank like a BOA or Chase, then a local credit union and (my personal favorite) a loan originator.