With that said, is there any "gold standard" for STNL?

My latest idea is to put most of the cash in a relatively low-risk investment - mix of bonds and gold ETF - then take an SBLOC against that portfolio to purchase my flips with. 

Hi @Wesley Quinn, property managers are worth their weight in gold and ultimately, they are the means by which you can scale in real estate.Here are some recommendations on how to find a property manager:1) Google and Yelp to see what the available universe of managers is2) Call the owners of comparable properties to see how they use and get referrals3) Qualify your list by whether or not they have experience in managing the kind of asset that you plan to buy and how professional they are e.g. do they have a team, do they employ software like appfolio, building etc4) Property management works best when you ‘asset manage’ them so don’t plan to be completely hands off.

However, I think Ray's point is don't hoard cash and be diversified in what you invest in (he even mentions investing in gold).

After years of looking at MLS, I thought nothing would surprise me but today something did.This is pure and unadulterated marketing gold.

But the gold rush is over in my opinion.

My town would probably be the equivalent of a gold mining or oil rush town from the 1800's. 

With that said and depending on your experience level, a good realtor can be worth their weight in gold in terms of liability protection and experience.

If you can find a reputable property management company, that has extensive market knowledge, they will be worth their weight in gold.

@L SmithersDisclaimer: Consult an attorney in your area for specifics related to the wording and local laws and customs.Risk of loss: If lightening strikes the house, the buyer has the option of taking the insurance money and proceeding with the sale.Prohibition: The seller from date of contract until closing can't make an easement with the neighbor, sell it to someone else, give up the gold and mineral rights etc.