Just spending my days and nights reading and listining to podcasts and getting educated.

Haven't bought, still debating on exactly what to buy and how much to spend on 1st deal.  

I think it's better to just keep properties together under one LLC if you are a small operation - even though there is always risk the amount you end up spending and time spent on overhead of keeping separate books, checking accounts, etc adds up fast.  

The next year I would speak to someone like Walt Kaminski, about buying tax certificates and find out where the highest yielding certs are, and I would spend 100K there.

That's fine in the beginning - you need to spend time learning how real estate investing can help you reach your goals -- and what those goals are.

I don't have that type of money nor do I see spending it on their program when I could very well be using the same $40,000 to get some of my first deals completed.

Just be careful you dont spend too much time on it unless youre seeing results.  

I'm looking at spending 30-50k.

It's time to spend my life's energy working to build my own business.

Who are you targeting, how does your yellow letter read, you have to spend money to make money it doesnt matter how many letters you send if they are not calling dont sit and wait send out yellow letters to another list.