You can take the classes online while where you are so that when you get here you are ready to test and hit the ground running.

Good luck with your  tests...   

Tuscan may be dated but distressed can be timeless.Anything done well and in good taste might be able to stand the test of time...lots of vintage bathrooms are prized by their new owners. i do agree vessle sinks might be the shag carpet, and pebble shower floors but I like them  

I got a major equity stake and was president.. ran that for 6 years.. 50 million HML in Bay area.disaster struck in 1989 to 1990  and I sold out in 1992  remember earth quake and war.Bay area took a huge hit then.I then through a sheer luck.. met my future bizz partner around the pool in Maui.. and I got in the timber business in Oregon I lived in Napa valley and commuted form 92 to 2001.. that was a GREAT run and one of the best business I have ever done.went into buying foreclosure in Oregon in 2001 it got uber competitive when trustee info become available on the net.. moved those funds back to HML  ( in those day I just wrote a letter ot the state and got a Mortgage bankers license no test required)  ran that company up to 35 to 40 million then got my postier handed to me in 2008 to 2010 and then put together a company to buy distressed assets.. ran that up to 350 homes form 2010 to 2013 got bought out and had a nice liquidity event.. now I just build houses in Oregon and Charleston and do JV deals with folks in 12 states.

However, part of the out-of-state experience is not being able to handle repairs yourself and accepting that it's going to cost more than doing it yourself.  

Different sites accept different types of soil, etc.

Perhaps I could buy just a single property within the next year with a cash down payment first just to test the waters, and if the experience agrees with me, I could pursue more with the 1031.

No personal checks accepted.

Accepting known money from illegal sources.

I submitted an offer on a property and it was accepted.