When my business partner and I were still flipping we bought a couple through Auction.com and we always used a private money lender to fund those and our other flips. 

.- Hefty penalty on either one of the parties for early termination of lease Owner plans to invest some of his own money to upgrade/refurbish things?

I’m new to real estate investing and am in the process of trying to acquire my first property.  

-Explore builder-financing programs, private lenders, or hard money lenders who may focus more on the deal itself rather than personal experience.If you can demonstrate successful project management and a solid business plan, funding will become easier over time.

Dennis' dad and I actually tripped over something similar back in Chandler.. we learned to tap into city planning websites and even call the permit offices directly to get a real sense of their backlogs.

We pride ourselves in keeping the forums positive, helpful, and focused on real estate (please, no politics, religion, etc.).

@Mike Robb you would think with the money they charge people for very little benefit they could create an app.

This is the value of having someone who has local experience.The company you said, if they are some "remote" company, I guess they could provide the things that you need and save money, but I would hesitate to feel confident if they do not have regional experience and that you would be left vulnerable if issues arise with the design later on. 

Single family has more stabilized as there is not enough people who can afford homes.The purchaser is two very distinct types of groups who buy MF vs. single family and single family is bought to own and occupy, MF is bought to generate money.

Quote from @Marc Zak: In the market where I live (San Diego), appreciation has been strong and many predict it will continue to appreciate in the long term.However, with current interest rates (6% at best) and property tax (2%), the annual cost burden is 8%.Am I correct in saying that appreciation has to be above 8% annually (plus whatever my maintenance and vacancy costs are) for me to make any money in this scenario if the property is cash flow neutral?