1) Marketing; start with less expensive methods like bandit signs or get some shirts made that say "I buy houses! Call 817-xxx-xxxx"
2) Sandwich leases are good if you want to be a landlord. Lease options are a more advanced strategy, which I would not recommend for starting out. Whatever you do, make sure you know the law before you get involved in deals. Wholesaling is a common strategy for people just getting started.
3) It depends on how hard you work and how long you stick with it. It is likely you will have to work hard and learn quite a bit on an ongoing basis, and it is unlikely you will get rich quick.
For mentors or someone to talk to about this stuff, go to meetings. You will get lots of free advice from people of all different experience levels. The more you go to meetings, the faster you will build knowledge and grow your network. Learning about REI from books is fine, but you won't get anywhere without a network.
Let me know if I can help you further.
979-450-1994 cell
comanche3000@live.com
