Hope that gives you some food for thought.  

But those who hang in are rewarded with careers that will make them rich.  

No risk, no reward.

Having been on the broker side before (just last year) it is extremely rewarding but also has its cons as well.  

She wants to pay the water bill but can barely pay her rent and she’s on food stamps.

Real estate is a game of calculated risk vs calculated reward.

Everything is just fodder for farming.I have heard that skip tracing can be a good method to find owners, but again, for me right now, the cost outweighs the reward based on other methods I use.

Perhaps if you LIVED in the Midwest, you could perhaps get something for $10K (5% down financing).Perhaps you should try partnering with others ... bring them the deals and they'll reward you for it. 

It is going to challenge you and won’t yield its rewards easily, but nothing worth having ever does.When you meet a successful real estate investor you will hear an incredible story of overcoming difficulties and adversity. 

My soon to be supervisor has told me that because of this, interns make the most money during the busy season since everyone works quite a bit, but they are all on salary.After this internship, I am headed to graduate school through my Big 4 firm, where they are covering all the costs plus paying me an $18,000 stipend for living expenses, books, food, etc.