Is this a common method or not?

It was written before the days of YouTube, so it's not full of the common nonsense where authors sell a course, send you to their website for downloads, or write a follow-up with additional "secrets" they forgot to put in the first book.Long-Distance Real Estate Investing by David Greene was another good one.

- Commonly Allowed Pets: Which types of pets do landlords typically permit in rental properties?

Hard money, which is most commonly from an institutional lender (either a broker with a white label setup or a lending firm), is generally available, but you will need to meet experience requirements to obtain funding from these kinds of lenders.

Sewer issues in Chicago are very common which is why I ALWAYS recommend / almost require my clients to get them done + if there's trees in front or in the back of a property, there will almost always be plumbing issues + needed rodding. 

For the few that understand this niche it can be extremely lucrative.Takes less money, less time and hassle, and there’s little competition.

I would also tell you to be extremely careful when doing contracts with builders. 

Overall, the setup and funding process was extremely straight-forward and the customer service was great.  

I am for sure shifting my focus back to looking at properties in Rockland,Orange or Putnam as it seems to be the common census.

Software is a common question on BiggerPockets.