I spoke with my wife a bit this morning and I think she might be softening up on her attitude towards taking out a mortgage in the California market.

@Tyrus ShiversHi Tyrus - Sounds like you have the right attitude!

Make sure you truly know the person, they are strong where you are weak, and you both have the same goals and attitudes.  

Having an experienced, and trustworthiness, real estate Agent has a more unbiased attitude that you may have.If you select a good area, you might sale before its finished.  

If you do things wrong you can lose a lot of money.Your choice is a personal choice which will depend upon your attitude towards risk and your financial ability to handle any surprises.

I don't have time on here to answer all of your questions, which I felt were very good, but anyone that wanted to research my threads and posts on bigger pockets would find my attitude or answers to most of the questions you asked.

@Devonta TaylorGood attitude man!

My attitude has always been to get off the train when everyone is getting on, and vice versa

It is usually advised to stay within 90% if the list price to be reasonable, unless there some valid reason to offer less and provide substantiation.From my experience, all real estate deals are guided by the personalities, attitudes and emotional attachments to the property.

@Omosanya 'OJ' Cole I would HIGHLY recommend dropping the attitude you need all the tools to make an offer.