It sounds like you were not engaged in your business and negligent in your responsibilities.

I just had a 30 minute chat session with Google Play Music. 

That could be a great way to find and stay engaged with local investors and opportunities. http://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsYou can also search for other investors and agents in Chicago and follow their journey on Bigger Pockets here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/search/usersBest of luck to you and look forward to following your journey!

That could be a great way to find and stay engaged with local investors, realtors and opportunities. http://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsYou can also search for other investors or brokers in Huntsville and follow their journey on Bigger Pockets here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/search/usersAnything you can do to build your network in the region will help you find the realtor, and eventually the property, that suits your needs. 

The positive engagements and compliments, as rare as they may be, are what keep me going in this business.

.- I'm interested in investing in a local franchise and being very hands on so as to hone skills,  network etc (S, B quadrants)- I initially let youtube pick the order of the BP podcasts for me so I quickly stumbled into the Grant Cardone session.

That could be a great way to find and stay engaged with local investors, realtors and opportunities. http://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsLooks like you've already made some connections with other BP members there in JAX...You can also search for other investors or brokers in your market and follow their journey on Bigger Pockets here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/search/usersBest of luck to you and look forward to following your success on BP!

@Rich Hupper I’m not too knowledgeable about what the bank might require, but as part of your due diligence you would probably engage an environmental/engineering firm to conduct a Phase 1 environmental study.

Especially as we go into a winter session where sales start to slow down and purchase prices decrease.

So engage your wife into learning RE investing with you - this will help your journey through this process.