My end goal for investing in real estate is create a financial secure future for myself those loved ones around me.

They also were advertising as Lakehouse Capital - then before that Northlake capital... the following links show that the main founder has lost investor capital before. etc. https://dfi.wa.gov/documents/securities-orders/S-20-2995-22-...https://workersadvisor.com/2019/01/24/multiple-asbestos-viol...

I would send them on message that says, "Please secure the home and leave the keys on the kitchen counter.

All that's due is the security deposit, for you to return as long as no damages to the property. 

Show that you’re knowledgeable and consistently securing great deals where the numbers work.Unlike other types of leads, nurturing a cash buyer’s trust doesn’t take much time.

What is the fair market value of the property that secures this note?

After talking with others and seeing how robust contracts are supposed to be, I realized that these wholesalers really don't know much about protecting the buyers or sellers, just themselves.  

Buildium is a nice middle ground and can bring a lot of organization if you don't have a robust bookkeeping system.

I’m looking for some guidance on my next steps toward achieving financial freedom through real estate.My long-term goal is to acquire enough rental properties to secure my financial future.

Landlord can require tenants to be responsible for separately metered utilities, so can avoid waste.Landlord can get annual small increases in rent.NegativesMost of us don’t treat something we get for free the same way we treat something we’ve worked hard to obtain.S8 applicants claim “broke” and don’t like to pay application feesSame goes for security depositsS8 tenants, in our experience, tend to cause more property damage than non-S8 tenants. - Make sure you get a security deposit and perhaps do a surprise inspection of their current home.S8 requires an inspection (mostly health & safety) before approving a lease and then annually thereafter. - Not something most landlords taking care of their properties have to worry about.There are limits to clauses they allow in your lease.