Who gets to decide if a repair that appears to be needed is real or fictious, created to reduce the net available to the lender? 

. :)Anyway, I like your strategy of driving and looking for houses in need of repair and sending handwritten letters and contacting rentals for the reasons you gave.

I think behind tenant screenings and leases there is a quality of a landlord that's also as a person that is the respect for a good person and the intelligence of making fair affairs.For me for ten years in the past I had a house of 650sqft (two rooms and cozy kitchen) where I always have been giving away one of the room for others who were asking for help for themselves and I didn't had any earnings for me by that, and that has been during for many and many years, meanwhile I was surely needing more space for me, for my business in a studio and for my own personal life I eventually could have been having.Nonetheless this, on last years I had no more an house and I needed a room for rent, but even before any screening the landlords were being unrespectful and very unreasonably severe to me, they often had making me lose so much time by no taking or going away to the point I had no other choices in the end, and they set me in the wrong places for me, dangerous ones, too small, too big and very expensive, unhealthy ones or not providing anything at all when it was obvious they needed to.To me this kind of behaviour is very wrong, mostly because usually they are the same people who pretend respects and acts as they are very careful and attentive to housing situations in general, but with me, they have been lying above anything and just disrespected the person at a human level. 

Easier to predict expenses - typically no major repairs unless from association3.

@Gash Nookala,Renting can indeed be slower in winter, but here are some tips to boost interest:Enhance Listing: Ensure your listing has detailed descriptions and high-quality photos—consider professional photography if needed.Competitive Pricing: Double-check local comps; even a slight price adjustment or incentives (like a reduced deposit) could attract more interest.Broaden Marketing: Beyond Zillow, Hemlane, and MLS, use social media, community boards, and local business connections to reach a wider audience.Flexible Lease Terms: Offering shorter or month-to-month leases might appeal to tenants during this slower season.Local Property Manager: A local pro can tap into their network and help fill the vacancy faster.These steps should help you find a tenant despite the seasonal slowdown.

This list isn’t exhaustive but includes most of the best ways to find quality firms to partner with.Conferences.

Hi Chris from the U.P. of Michigan.Congratulations on deciding to get into real estate investing with your first Buy, Rehab, Rent, Re-finance, and Repeat or BRRRR and you are wondering where to start and who you should add to your team first.It is good you have cash or cash equivalents to buy the property and complete the repairs.As far as who to have on your team first, I would say an investor friendly Realtor who can help you find deals and introduce you to the rest of the team like a good property inspector to hopefully let you know about potentially expensive repairs early before buying the property so you can buy it well or not buy it at all.

I buy/cash flow day 1 and let the tenants make the cosmetic repairs.  

You might find that installing a mini-split system, properly insulating, and ensuring the finishes match the main home’s quality will make a difference in how the appraiser views it.

They will try to run 2 kitchens and that can mean clogged drains in your wet bar kitchen.Be sure there is personal recourse when you need to sue them for $40k in repairs above the deposit.