So, even if you don’t want a degree, I would say participate in some class or learning program that requires you to do more than just receive information from an instructor.

I concur that coming to the live class is a much better option since it allows for a lot more information to be presented by our national team of instructors and there are 3 days for you to get all of your questions answered there as well.  

If you’re getting your loan docs from a lending attorney, and I hope you are, both the lender’s instructions and deed of trust, mortgage, or loan agreement should specify your insurance requirements and could serve as a reference for you.

Simple electronics with simple instructions are key, for example.  

There's usually a clause like this:EFFECT OF ADDENDUM: THIS ADDENDUM AMENDS AND SUPPLEMENTS THE CONTRACT AND, IF APPLICABLE, ESCROW INSTRUCTIONS.

I don't do it, I wouldn't recommend it, but I'm sure you could find some good instruction material on how to do it by connecting with people here.  

But because I am pretty conservative on the rental front (I save my crazy risk taking for entitlement deals), and for other reasons I won't get into here, I instruct my CPA to take minimal depreciation. 

Disclaimer: I have not taken the Epic Pro Academy course, but I attended Matt's 2 day workshop last year.Matt Theriault's 2 day events, which they are somewhat different than the Epic Pro Academy, I believe, since the information is compressed in only 2 days.Nevertheless, lots of practical information is offered, besides instructions and information about the industry, the insights that Matt provides and how they relate to one's approach to business relationships in general, they have value on their own.What I can say about him and his team is that you truly get what they offer, but like with any course, the course is as good as you are by implementing what is been taught.

The reason I was looking for a paid mentor is because I have no experience in Real Estate and I personally would rather get instructions from someone who is successful, why try and reinvent the wheel?

So while it does say this:“(b)Appraisal independence For purposes of subsection (a), acts or practices that violate appraisal independence shall include—(1) any appraisal of a property offered as securityfor repayment of the consumer credit transactionthat is conducted in connection with such transaction in which a person with an interest in the underlying transaction compensates, coerces, extorts, colludes, instructs, induces, bribes, or intimidates a person,appraisal management company, firm, or other entity conducting or involved in an appraisal, or attempts, to compensate, coerce, extort, collude, instruct, induce, bribe, or intimidate such a person, for the purpose of causing the appraised value assigned, under the appraisal, to the property to be based on any factor other than the independent judgment of the appraiser;(2)mischaracterizing, or suborning any mischaracterization of, the appraised value of the property securing the extension of the credit;(3)seeking to influence an appraiser or otherwise to encourage a targeted value in order to facilitate the making or pricing of the transaction; and(4)withholding or threatening to withhold timely payment for an appraisal report or for appraisal services rendered when the appraisal report or services are provided for in accordance with the contract between the parties.”It immediately follows up with this:“(c)ExceptionsThe requirements of subsection (b) shall not be construed as prohibiting a mortgage lender, mortgage broker, mortgage banker, real estate broker, appraisal management company, employee of an appraisal management company, consumer, or any other person with an interest in a real estate transaction from asking an appraiser to undertake 1 or more of the following:(1)Consider additional, appropriate property information, including the consideration of additional comparable properties to make or support an appraisal.(2)Provide further detail, substantiation, or explanation for the appraiser’s value conclusion.(3)Correct errors in the appraisal report.”Based on this discovery, I respectfully disagree with your interpretation of Dodd Frank as it pertains to my previous comment regarding appraisal reconsiderations.