More eager than ever to start REI...NEED ENCOURAGEMENT

Well I bought Dean's Book "Be a Real Estate Millionaire" about a year ago from BAM and read it cover to cover. Did nothing with it. Then I bought "Profit From Real Estate Right Now" about a month ago and are reading it again. I've been on the DG website everyday since joining just looking at other journals and posts trying to soak in more knowledge.

The crazy thing is I started really studying RE investment stratagies four years ago in the summer of 2006. I went to another REI seminar and spent $1000 dollars for a 3 day mini course on No Money Down strategies. I was living in Orlando at the time and the main speaker leading the event was from my home town of leesburg, GA (about 35k citizens). I thought to myself this had to be the Lord!! We spoke after one of the sessions and he told me he would take me under his wing when he got back to Leesburg where currently lived. I was about to move back to Leesburg when the seminar was taking place. Many of the pics from the seminar he taught I knew where the properties were because I know my hometown so well. I was so excited to have someone like him be my "mentor" to help me get my feet off the ground.

When we got back I waited a couple of weeks to read some more and be as familiar with the notes I took as possible before calling the gentlemen. I finally called him and he was no help at all. I called him a couple of times but he just blew me off. So I started calling around and interviewing with some RE Agents to help me find and locate properties that I could buy. I spoke with several agents and one of them was very curious about my strategies and I told her a little about them and she immediately dismissed the idea that "subject to's, wrap arounds mortgages, assignments, wholesaling, etc could work. She said she knew the guy who led the seminar I went to and that he was a basically a fraud and the strategies he taught he doesn't even implement himself. Every agent I talked to pretty much shut me down so I began to believe that maybe these strategies don't work today like they did in the 80's and 90's. I still continued to buy REI books and have purchased about $300 worth of books but for some reason I'm gripped with fear that I won't succeed even though I desperately want to take action. I've got tons of notes and in several different notebooks but have trouble being able to make it translate into reality!! I'm married now and my wife is 2 1/2 months pregnant and I've been laid off of two jobs in the past two years due to the economy. I can't seem to catch a break with employment. I'm currently working in my brothers business but I want to be able to create my own income and my own future. He is considering selling the business and has a buyer interested in purchasing the business. If he does sell it I have start over again looking for a 3rd job in 24 months. I have to figure out a way to make this work! Can someone please give me some encouragement? My wife is very skeptical and although she wants to support me she doesn't put much hope that I can make it in REI so I don't talk to her that much about it. I'm sure I may be preaching to the choir but any encouragement or advice would help. How do you just go out and find a property that you can buy subject to? Or know that you can buy at 40% off? I spoke with a realtor that I'm very good friends with who lives about 2 hrs away and he owns 4 rental properties and said that this idea I have probably wont work because no one is going to let you purchase their home at a deep discount and know that you are going to make a lot of money off of them when most people owe more than their house is worth. Man, it seems like as soon as I start talking to people about it they get negative on me. Somebody give something to go with to help me take some action. Reading a lot of the posts on here is very helpful but I guess I need to hear personally from someone who has already started making money in REI. I look forward to hearing from the DGers