He comes across like a very basic con artist slime-ball to me, preying on insecure people by acting confident and successful, which people mistake for actual success.

I just had a call with mine today and feel so much more confident.

Being "assigned" clients is not the same as working with the most active, engaged clients, like yourself, who come through STS. 

Join local real estate investment clubs, attend seminars, or engage in online forums to stay updated on the latest trends and strategies.Remember, real estate investing is not a get-rich-quick scheme.

So, investing on the side is the way to go - it certainly was for me and it took me 8 years before I was confident that I can quit my corporate job.

I am confident in handling the construction as I have experienceWhat really matters to me is that are there margins in this market to make money from scratch up?

For example, I  never hear stories of the turn key provider spending extra sound proofing between units or investing in better quality fixtures or other high touch building materials so that the end buyer can enjoy reduced maintenance costs and better tenant engagement.

My feeling of using Pref Equity is that you'd better know what you're doing and confident that you can deliver.

Or do I need to really spend 500 hours or more actively engaged in managing the property?  

By presenting a competitive offer and demonstrating confidence in our ability to complete the project, we were able to close the deal successfully.