Spend some time every day on Bigger Pockets by connecting with “colleagues,” perusing blogs and videos, and engaging with others on the forums: http://www.biggerpockets.com/meet9.

Be sure to be as active and engaging as possible.

It could be deemed that neither party could do the transaction on its own, and therefore was enabled to engage in the transaction due to the presence of disqualified party money.  

However there is a difference between getting education that qualifies you for a new business; generally not deductible, and education expense for a business you are already actively engaged in, generally is deductible 

Ok, now that you have taken your initial step, below are some quick links to get engaged. http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere http://www.biggerpockets.com/ubg http://www.biggerpockets.com/meet Setting up Keyword Alerts How to Use @Mentions on BiggerPockets 25 Tips for Real Estate SuccessREI can be very daunting, but, before you go searching for that 1st buy, please take a few minutes to bone up on the tips in link below.http://www.realestate.com/advice/buying-your-first-investment-property/ However, this site thrives on interactions and as such we encourage two way exchanges and look forward to educational and thought provoking ideas relevant to REI.

I would not engage a realtor.  

My name is Matt Swisshelm, but my friends call me Swiss.I just wanted to introduce myself here on the DP forums and start getting engaged with everyone.I'm very new to RE, but I'm eager to get started.

If I can engage just one of them for 14 pages then I think that is less time spent by one of them being a nuisance in the marketplace.  

As a fiduciary to your own retirement account, you're not allowed to invest those funds in your own self interest or engage in what is commonly referred to as "self dealing."

We are a warm hearted paying it forward group of people interested in real estate investing.Consider searching Bigger Pockets Members list and look for members who have information associated with their names pertaining to what you are seeking.We are considered to be the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with so connect with REIA meetings, accountability partners, and mastermind groups to engage with individuals interested in real estate investing.At the bottom of this page is a list with help in it.