Mine did too at first, but reality set in after a few months of washing dishes in the laundry sink, and having plastic hanging in the shower, her enthusiasm waned.I'm not suggesting you don't do it, just pointing out that the idea of it and the reality of it are not necessarily the same. 

I would recommend starting with a few assignments to get the hang of putting deals together with sellers and filing them with good tenant/buyers, and to build up a cash reserve before staying in the middle with a sandwich.

The seller (bank) informed us we were the 2nd highest offer and to "hang on" just in case the first offer didn't go through.

But I now have the following things that I cannot even put a monetary value as a result of doing it:A good and reliable contractor who is ready to help me grow my business and work on future projects.An electrician, who I met AS A RESULT of the my contractor.A great handyman and gardener, who I met, AS A RESULT of my tenants.A fairly thorough working knowledge of how to replace a roof, run plumbing, electrical, hang drywall, lay tile, and the overall costs associated with the replacement and repair of all these things.

We just paid a guy $1000 to hang drywall, float and tape a 1,500 SF ceiling. 

This is a psychological issue, not an REI one - you'll have this same hang up regardless of what route you go, everyone does in the beginning. 

Hey Jim, if it were me, I'd want to hang onto it.

By that time, I had already peeked in to find my alarm hanging from the ceiling with the battery nowhere to be found. 

I was able to hang onto the 6 family, put a little work into it and just recently sold it back in November.

Karl,Most agents, over time, tend to specialize to one degree or another so just asking for an agent could get you someone who only does larger (>100K sq ft) industrial leasing (unlikely on BP but you get the point).There are any number of Cleveland area agents who hang around BP but each has their niche.