Problem here too is rent is low so it is definitely a challenge.Check out Ohio and Michigan,Your not too far away for a day drive ;)Thanks

I never can understand why investors actually cause the price of a home to drive up with all of their bids...

I would like to begin investing in real estate now to help drive my investment portfolio (recently got into the stock market as well), and just for the sheer excitement that comes from negotiating and closing a deal.

I keep fining my way to Austin and I am trying to get more information on the area before I make the 12 hour drive from NM.

It's the absolute most important thing that can drive your profitability; whether you are marketing yourself by social networking, direct mail, on-line presence, mass exposure etc. it's imperative to creating consistent deals.Once you get the leads follow up.And just a general response to the "only take advice from someone in the business more than 20 years" - I would personally revise that to say "only take advice from someone his is where you want to be".

Did you go to a car dealer to learn how to drive?      

Positive for people who drive crappy but paid-off cars.Negative for people who just leased some car they can't afford.   

Looking for a realtor who can assist ASAP with a drive by inspection and photos of a property we are about to buy the note on NW of Charlotte, West on the 85, up the 321 N.Looking for type of neighborhood, rentals or owners, vacancies seen, valuations, and crime in the area, etc.While we will try to work out a modification to get them paying again, we might have to either get a deed-in-lieu and do a short sale, or go through foreclosure process & sell the house after that.We would want the realtor to be with us all the way, and will pay you full commissions for any help in selling it.

One tip that I picked up here is while you are starting out and saving money for your investments, start driving / visiting areas you would like to invest in so you get a feel for prices, rents , house conditions etc, and visit and look at lots of homes and open houses so your eye get used to looking at repairs / upgrades that are normal in a particular market.

If nothing, just take a drive out there when possible.