You will learn a ton, meet people that you can do deals with (i.e. buyers), form your "power" team (attorney's, Realtors, Title company, private lenders, etc), and most importantly immerse yourself in the RE world, build your social capital, be inspired, and rewire your brain for success in real estate. 3.

Others immerse themselves in the business.

But in the early '80's I had also immersed myself into real estate, buying 'junk' as my colleagues called it & then 'wasting all my time' rehabbing it.

Here are the criteria:-I will not start investing until I've been mentored and immersed in the business for at least a year -- so I am OK with it being tied up for at least a year.

To stay motivated listen to podcasts, stay connected on Bigger Pockets, go to REIA events, read books... keep immersing yourself in the real estate world and surround yourself with people who share the same passion.  

I’m an investor, realtor, and rep for a title agency, as such fully immersed in the community and work with investors daily.

In 2009 when I immersed myself in the world of foreclosed real estate, it wasn't a golden age of excitement for me; it was a nose-to-the-grindstone time when the automotive industry laid off young project managers and the market wasn't hiring.

I think this is a common american problem... we've been so immersed in the consume/grow/success cycle that we never stop long enough to truly ask ourselves what we want, what the end goal is or what success truly looks like. 

Hi Kevin,I'm a big fan of buying with cash and my thought process is quite contrary to everyone else's.Cash is KingCashflow is QueenLeverage can be a peasant lolOne can retire investing in Toledo with $1m in cash.Off-course, this all depends on how many villages you need to feed 🤓I have too many "villagers" on my back so it's a bit of a different story for me.Sub $100,000 markets like Toledo require volume to work and to be worth the risk if you are looking to buy and hold.Not much growth potential long term so I would consider it a strict cashflow play.Start slow and small and you can always scale up once you learn the market.Or call it quits and exit if you decide it's not for you.IMO, leverage should only be used to scale a portfolio and only after you have immersed yourself enough in a specific market.And only once you have decided that you want to stick around in that specific market and invest in it long term.Over the years, I've witnessed many folks use leverage and attempt BRRRR out of state only to fall short and say "the market sucks and it doesn't work".Nothing works unless you make it work and a market like Toledo can work better than any other market I know from a cashflow perspective.I've been investing since 2014 and flipped hundreds along with currently managing 400 SFH.Only this year have I started buying small multifamily properties.It's an adjustment and a different animal but let's just say it's in the same breed of animal lolImmerse yourself in a specific market and become an "expert" on the numbers in that market.Find off market deals, negotiate hard, buy with cash and buy quickly.You make money when you buy and not when you sell so you must buy cheap.There are many ways to skin a cat mate and this is how I get my fur lolWishing you much success

I have been immersing myself as much as possible in real estate learning material.