Hi everyone,I am pretty new to the arena of real estate investment, but I'm excited to learn as much as I can to eventually achieve the goal of financial freedom, and not be dependent on my w2 job. 

Property will take 8 weeks to rehab, contractor to get paid $10,000 week one, then $10,000 week 3, and so on till the job is done, and if the contractor does not like this there is a red flag.

However, I'm doing a lot remotely (have to keep the full time job as well) so I'm wondering if I can take photos (or use listing photos) and some measurements to send it to an interior designer to get a design idea and send that to a GC prior to going under contract to get a rehab cost. 

After doing a bit of research, I noticed the population growth seems flat, job growth looks  slow, and it sounds like the tenant pool can be hit or miss.Does anyone here have experience investing in Anderson?

Instead of saying anything about value or working for free apply to jobs of interest in the industry.There are entry level jobs in construction, leasing, maintenance, CSR jobs, etc... where you can get paid to learn.If you are smart you can learn, move up, and continue investing in properties personally.Wholesaling is not my favorite approach.  

I have always wanted to invest in real estate as my day job and my passion, firefighting doesn't allow me to have the financial freedom that I want.

The best market is usually the one you know well, where you can commit your time, energy, and resources, and where the assets align with your goals.While California gets its share of criticism, it still has a lot to offer:Strong job opportunities, great weather and diverse landscapes, High demand—people still want to live in CAThat said, it does require more capital to get started, and there are more regulations to navigate compared to other states.

We are a couple looking to potentially invest out of state for STRs to offset our W-2 income, and are wondering if Durham or Raleigh area is a good market for short term rentals? 

I thought I could teach my kids there are other options beyond a W2 traditional job. 5. diversification of my retirement and maybe help me retire a little earlier or decrease the amount of time that I work in 10 years or soI know I will not replace my current income with real estate as I am a higher income earner.

Quote from @Theresa Harris: Call the tenant to verify that the person showed up AND completed the job before paying.