I was told by a friend that his dad who runs an appliance business has "keys to every type of washer/dryer coin box".

@Michael James Hamlin I'm a former tax accountant/business consultant turned fix n flipper and investor friendly agent. 

The other is a smaller operation which does a lot of business in the specific neighborhood the house is in.

The founder appears to have been involved in businesses outside of real estate: ‘My dream is a locally made grooming products business’ | People | nashvillepost.comSo it does not appear there is a lot of track record there, but those are questions I would ask.

@Michael Quarles I can honestly say that I've never gotten any solid business from postcards.

Hey all, as the title states I'm brand new to the real estate game and I'm looking to find people in the area who are willing to loosely guide/teach me how to wholesale/flip properties.Are there any networking events in the area I'd be able to connect with?

Over the past 15+ years in this business, i have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

Friendship and business don’t always mix well, so it’s critical to use a solid lease and treat this as a business arrangement.

We both run our own businesses but we feel that real estate will help make sure we both maintain our life plans of not needed to work as much any more.

The downside will have more to do with your business personality.