Check out other online guides available here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/guides3.

I got the same rate that I would get on any direct booking since they could see the listed price online.

Check the in person events and meetups in your local area, our online community is full of knowledge and folks willing to share and still nothing replaces the opportunity to interact IRL, you never know who you will meet and where that can take you on your REI journey. 

Connecting with local real estate investor groups, attending meetups and conferences, either in person or online, can give you advice + support as well!

Unfortunately most have made lifestyle changes relying on checks that will never be cashed but can't fault the inexperienced investors with the amount of materials online, social media etc. where coaches, mentors and gurus share the ease in which they generated massive wealth in these neighborhoods.

Basically you need to know what you are doing in DM or Online for it to work, otherwise, you will spend thousands of dollars without success@Jonathan Krauser.

Adam has the simplest answer.You can buy the parts yourself, watch a YouTube video, and replace them yourself.Go to Google and search for "appliance parts" and find many companies selling the parts.

By requiring licensing that you think is so onerous, which is usually quite easy to complete and reasonably priced  maybe $1,000 and somewhere between a day and 2 weeks of online classes, we can protect a segment of people that need protection.

As mentioned no need to hire a private investigator just use an online service to do a background check.

Check out other online guides available here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/guides3.