How I started out getting interested in this area

Well hello everyone.  My name is Helen Kirk and I am a new real estate investor.  At least, I hope that is what I turn out to be!  I've been spending the past 4-5 months getting educated through online sources including BiggerPockets.

During my "education" I've been thinking about how to find properties, finance them and manage them.  I located a few properties and watched them disappear when I didn't do anything about them.  

The first one that disappeared was a beautiful old home with a quaint porch.  It had a second apartment over a 2-bay garage that attached to the house through a very large outdoor room that was enclosed with screening instead of windows.  I fell in love with it, and since it was old, I got a contractor friend scheduled to go in it with me and document what he thought might need fixing.  Well, a few days before our appointment, the house sold.  It had been sitting on the market for nearly 3 years previously!  I was miffed!!!  The house went for 123K in a neighborhood that had 200K+ homes with a school and a park within a few blocks.  Someone got a great deal!