Starting at 'older' age

I believe you can absolutely obtain a master title even if you start later in life. Can you become a super GM? The odds are stacked very high against it.

To start... I would focus on tactics and playing lots of slow games. Developing good pattern recognition has probably helped me the most. Although, I'm still very weak tactically.

Your brain really stops developing at 26 years of age, from what I've heard. I suspect at that age, perhaps even a year older, players peak and are in their prime.

good luck but most importantly make sure to enjoy the game.

^^^ What he said. Age shouldn't matter... heck, a person entering retirement can suddenly find himself at the local coffee shop playing chess and doing quite well at it. The more important question you should have is this: "Do I really expect to take chess so seriously as to become a pro?"

This is not a very realistic objective (if you mean reaching IM level and higher).

You may also want to read one of those old threads (there are many others). I'd recommend to pay some attention to the actual chess level of the various contributors.