The wholesaler was going nuts wondering when the deal would close so that he could get the rest of his money.

I just finished the free course A Beginner's Course to Real Estate Investing which provides a good overview of the nuts and bolts of real estate investing.  

I would imagine that through direct mail campaigns, it may raise eyebrows as I'm not fishing for listings, I actually want to buy myself.

@Charlie Fitzgerald never heard of that, I wonder if I would like it or it would be like a peanut butter and tuna fish sandwich (ie "I like peanut butter and I like tuna fish, so lets stick em together").  

You pay to live here and you really have to want to live here to make it worth it.If you love Galveston and the water, fishing, being outdoors, then yes, move here, find a duplex that will pay your mortgage and enjoy.  

Yep its getting a bit hot, prices at least in my area have not gone to nuts.

real estate is about quarterbacking the deal" if its your baby your hands need to be in all parts of the deal... soup to nuts Never Bitter only Better - Nick 

I’ve seen that service advertised for $400 and up, which is nuts, considering, in the case of a lease-option, it doesn’t include the criminal background check, eviction check, previous landlord checks, visit to current rental, and probably not the employment verification a smart landlord does.

Note I'm not contemplating repairs / maintenance type stuff, such as sewer mains or 1) Moving a home to a new location (as in so expensive you're nuts to contemplate it)2) Replacing / significantly changing external look / structural elements / adding a story3) Replacing vinyl siding with full brick or stone all the way around4) Replacing old heating (baseboard radiant) with new, such as a heat pump and forced air5) Updating Kitchens6) Updating bathrooms7) Replacing floors (like carpet to hardwood or stone)8) Updating fixtures9) Painting

However, that would be like going fishing and never casting your line in the water while expecting the fish to jump in the boat.