Having lenders or partners upfront places you in a better and more confident negotiating position and in the event you find a deal and can't find the money, now you lost the deal and have to back out damaging your reputation as a closer.

Now the buyer is being held liable for damages and commissions.

If you haven't already - find a reputable lender to qualify you and give you idea of what your PITI would be at 600K or other price point. 

More of a simple screening tool, and at least I have some kind of idea for who to go after if there are damages of fraud. 

Hopefully someone from the area can chime in but shopping quotes from reputable and well rated or referred PMs will illustrate a better picture for you.

I believe the water damage is the root cause of the mold problem, and I’m considering filing an insurance claim to cover the repairs and remediation.For those who have gone through this process, what steps should I take to ensure the claim is handled properly?

Keep at least all those rents added together plus another $20-$30k to cover unseen damage and damage that occurs during move out as well and any required cleaning.

So here is my question, I know a reputable firm that provides this service but how can I set up the 'business partnership' where they are my chosen vendor for this service without my clients trying to go behind my back to deal with them directly, thereby kicking me out the middle.

However there are some reputable new construction builders in the area.There is, as you likely know, a housing shortage and, once Caesars Casino opens at the end of 2024, they anticipate 2 million visitors a year. 

We knew the house would be messy but were not prepared for the extent of the damage.