As for your experience contacting agents directly, the market is red, red-hot right now.

I would rather put my money on red or black.

There were plenty of red flags just like there were in 2006-2008. 1.

  ( Aggressive tax strategy can be a red flag to the IRS.)Assuming you have these pieces down .....   

We own LTRs in Redding and Shasta Lake and have lived in this area most of our lives.

I've been posting on BP for about 11 years now, it seems like every year somebody comes on here and talks a big game, fudges some numbers, gets exposed, then you never hear from them again.You've got Clayton Morris of course, then there was this one dude, Wendal De Guzman, then there was Matt Motil and several others I can't think of off the top of my head, but there's been a lot.I don't know if that's the story with Martel here, but the inconsistencies in the claims are typically a big ole red flag.

Less red tape and less expensive if negotiated correctly.

Another red flag. 

I'm feeling red flags here.

If those folks aren't on the lease and they're staying way longer than they should without giving you a heads-up, that's definitely a red flag.