Smaller outfits will  always be looking for a hand.I'm not close but I could always help over DM or phone 

Great point the BIG outfits tend to not give you the best treatment get lost in all of the other units .Go with a small mom and pop shop check them out what the have done Google them  .

Use $50,000 or less as a 10% down payment, the other $50,000 would be used for closing costs, refurnishing, outfitting it for a STR, and paying the mortgage and bills for a couple months to get it up and running. 

Much of the bigger developments from Chinatown to Brighton Park come from Chinese outfits and they market their SFHs, condos, and townhomes directly to international buyers.

It is outfitted to serve 6 women.

I work for a very small outfit and we pride ourselves on our personal level of service.

Also, the owner of the fishing outfit (who is from the UK) said that there are many unscrupulous realtors who save the best deals for themselves as they're allowed to purchase real estate and he said deals, even in that depressed economy, are very hard to find. 

Get yourself a local CPA and not some big national outfit.

Most of the institutions have also turned to outfits like Auction.com, Hubzu.com, and a few others.

Also, there may be ways to outfit a specific room in your house that allows for you to be loud and not disturb others.