Understand that the cost to the investor is only the cash that's out of pocket. 

I understand that it is less than ideal, but it is reality. 

as long as you understand that this is just initiation for joining a club with various and sundry real estate information .. nothing wrong with it for the cost of 3k ..

Hi @Jacob Dalton,Thanks for sharing your situation—it’s clear you’ve put a lot of thought into this decision, and I can understand why you’re concerned given the challenges of being a landlord in Cook County.Screening tenants is definitely a key step, but I agree it’s not foolproof.

Perhaps one day, I will come to understand your business model, whether with NextLevelEquity.com, or Goodin Development.

Probably going to be a check.Smart contractors are starting to understand that convenience matters to customers and being able to take different methods of payment can help them collect their money.

I’m struggling to understand why all of this is necessary just to use their property management software.

IMHO the key is having an agent on the buy side who understands the process and can make some magic happen for you. 

You don't need to know everything to get started; you need a foundation to build on, and the rest will come through experience and then refining your education.You can build a basic understanding of investing in 3-6 months.

For context I am a full time lender and understand DTI and have very good credit.