I will be attending my first REI group meeting on the 28th and can't wait to put my hard earned money to work for me. 

If you put your mind to it, and truly want to learn how to earn it's possible.

I would imagine that the intermediary would simply cut me the check and then I would pay capital gains on the earnings?

Who do you turn to when I have  Real Estate deals in prime locations of St Petersburg, Fl one a FIXER HOme in a prime area " OLD NE" the other a $3million Commercial Building on Central Ave, but you have NO DOWN Money...

How challenging would it be to refurb the garage and turn it into an apartment to earn a little income from the lot?

This is important; if you and your fiance have a good earnings stream of income, this can be a good bet to get you into the property market and own a home/be a landlord with a nice low downpayment.Hope this helps!

Things are overpriced for what the rent would earn, and getting good cash flow is a challenge I think.

I suggest you learn as much as you can so you don't end up making huge mistakes with your hard earned money. 

Of course, I am also in the RE field to earn my share of money, as all of us are.

Do you earn a three times the monthly rent in income each month?