Welcome to the community and be ready for a huge amount of information at your finger tips.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Not much, but something to keep in mind.They are all good options, I would also recommend a place where you are physically the closest to or can get to easily.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

What books would you recommend for someone who’s just starting out?

Investors like me are left sifting through overpriced junk instead of finding real opportunities.Pro Tip: The average wholesale contract is for a 30 day "inspection", while the wholesaler looks for a buyer.

& ask the people about the thing they're good at, okkk got it :)I will do that, thank you very much hey I picked up some tips from the podcast too.... still listening to it, but.... : - Robert Kiyosaki, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad", and "Cashflow Quadrant" - (already have the pdf ready to go.... but also "rich dad")- Dave Ramsey- the more creative way of getting the carryback note down from 40,000 to 30,000 - and using that, to make everyone happy.... and move the deal along- and I also wrote down.... : never give a city inspector the lock box code before you get there lol…. or do try to stand in his way a bit lol -- that's awesome.... gives me an idea for the culture - and what they must be like lol.... anyways, Shiloh thank you so much - I appreciate it a lot.... great first day, checking the site out much appreciated ! 

Im trying to avoid being the bad guy here, while still protecting my investment.The insurance company requirement is a great tip.

Deduct NEW property taxes after you buyDeduct home insurance costsDeduct maintenance percentage, typically 10%Deduct vacancy+tenant nonperformance percentage(we recommend 5% for Class A, 10% Class B, 20% Class C, good luck with Class D)Deduct whatever dollar/percentage of cashflow you wantNow, what you have left over is the amount for debt service.Enter it into a mortgage calculator, with current interest rate for an investment property, to determine your maximum mortgage amount.Divide the mortgage amount by either 75% or 80%, depending on the required down payment percentage - this is your tentative price to offer.If the property needs repairs, you'll want to deduct 110%-120% of the estimated repairs from this amount.Be sure to also research the ARV and make sure it's 10-20% higher than your tentative purchase price.As long as the ARV checks out, this is the purchase price to offer.It is probably significantly below the asking price.

But I can't recommend something I would not do as an investor myself, so here it goes:1.)