Plug into a real flip with training wheels: show up at two investor meetups and offer to build scopes, price materials, and document sites for an active flipper in exchange for shadowing.

I've seen some photos of people on BP who I would not walk down a dark alley with.

Instead of howling at the dark, @John Clark: why don't you light a lamp for those who are lost? 

Question I have as i am looking at adding some dark colors to a home in the south is does the heat play into it at all from either a hvac standpoint or any other standpoint love that this is not another cookie cutter home and has some uniqueness  dont know if the color affects the efficiency of the HVAC system. 

My advice would be to start small and take concrete first steps, maybe shadow an investor, assist on a deal, or even try analyzing properties in your area.

I've seen some photos of people on BP who I would not walk down a dark alley with.

Would you send your spouse or children (assuming the children are old enough) there in the dark?  

Next step: pick two lanes, write a clear “buy box” career pitch, apply to five firms in each, and ask to shadow a site walk this week.

I guess a lot will depend on how you will be able to separate the two properties (eg a fence, wall). granted, if you start construction at 6 am, your reviews won't be kind to you 😄Another thing to consider is that Seattle is not really a touristic destination in the rainy/dark months (I live here too) so you might not even recover your investment to setup the airbnb depending how soon you'd sell it. 

With 20 percent down, 360K loan, this one should post a positive cash flow the first year.1781 Mountain Shadows Way, Gatlinburg, TN 37738 [Updated 10/10]