The midwest and specifically Chicago has always been slow and steady - thank you for giving us a shout out @Scott Trench!

There are a couple of things that I would think about here, the timeframe you want to work with this agent (can be 1 month or 2 months or a longer time), whether you could do it for a specific area/city/town, or you could do it for a couple of properties you see.

This cushions potential value drops.Syndicator vetting: Only partner with syndicators who have a strong track record in different market conditions.Market and asset class knowledge: Understand market cycles and the specific real estate types (multifamily, industrial, etc.) you're investing in.Avoid chasing trends: Just because a market or asset is “hot” doesn’t mean it’s solid.You’re right that this approach doesn’t cap your upside, quality diversification can still generate huge returns while managing risk.Best regards,Drago

Do sunshine and beaches matter more, or a strong job market in your specific field?

A property in Haysville for example would be SW, but could also be filtered on "Haysville" specifically. 

So, the first question they usually ask a PMC is about fees - instead of asking about services and HOW those services are executed.EXAMPLE: PMC states they will handle tenant screening – what does that specifically mean?

One of my first questions is always - "what are your specific goals?"

I'm not an attorney or expert in AP specifically, but do have a working knowledge of it for Civil engineering/survey work and have had two projects where this came up and I was able to 'ride along' and see how it unfolded.First, if you 'know' the property has been taken by AP then there's nothing for you to do with the tax assessor etc.

Especially and more specifically those working in our financial arenas who are completely confused and oblivious to this type of transaction, because it does in fact occur.

Specifically, I’d like to understand:How to evaluate motel operations and what metrics are most critical.Best practices for managing or outsourcing day-to-day operations.Thanks in advance for your insights—I’m looking forward to learning from the amazing investors here and gaining a better understanding of this space!