I have met several other investors at these meetings that have given me additional advice and motivation to pursue real estate investing.I am currently in the market for a small 2/3/4 unit house within a 30-minute drive from my office so that I can live cheaper and turn into a committed rental property after fulfilling FHA loan requirements for owner occupation.  

At the end of the trip you end up with a t-shirt, a snack for breakfast, a full lunch, and a good amount of contacts to network with - that alone is worth the money. 

You could focus on properties near the T to attract downtown professionals as renters.

Probably the only possible excuse there is.However, this is a great excersize, it still doesn't excuse any issues that come up as far as damage and smells, etc.And thanks to JR T. for the advice on changing our lease...in fact had that discussion last night at dinner.  

Welcome t o BP Dwayne.

More moving parts means more that could go wrong, a heavier time commitment on the part of the sponsor, and more risk for the investor.  

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I'm waiting to see how the management piece plays out before further committing to this management company. 

You don't have to make any commitments to REI yet, just start with those things and then evaluate if this is the right path for you.

[T]herefore such a practice would violate the Fair Housing Act.”because blacks and Hispanics commit crimes and go to prison at much higher rates than whites, a policy of automatically rejecting applicants with a criminal past will have a “disparate impact” on different racial groups