In place of a flat fee I can see the transition being something based on referral (did my buyer agent get me a trades person, lender, home inspector, etc.

Quote from @Mathew Chacko: Quote from @Na Person:  I too was a little skeptical of sending a large cash payment to an unlicensed entity (1031 facilitators do not need a license). 

Do you own a personal residence yet?

@Steffany Boldrini As a lesson to other people hiring interior decorators online, can you please tell everyone what caution flags should have told you not to hire this person?

Also interested in networking to learn more about my personal interest in STR's primarily in the Tampa, Bradenton, and Sarasota markets along with other southeast coastal and mountain markets. 

If you personally are having trouble making a profitable deal, make a post and ask for suggestions.  

Any insights, advice, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Hi James,I personally don't have enough experience to answer your question, but there is some helpful stuff in a similar discussion here: http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/52/topics/1779...You will find related discussions to any forum discussion you are reading at the bottom of each forum discussion page, and they can often help you find posts that answer your question.  

What I personally do is I will hire a local Civil engineer who has done subdivisions in the jurisdiction and I will pay them up front for a detailed feasibility study.

Being a curious person, I gained an interest in real estate investing due to other classmates being interested in real estate.