I am having some trouble finding a reputable attorney in Southern California, around the Orange County area, that understands real estate investments, syndication, and appropriate business structures.

I think it is awesome you have your eyes set on the future and want to set yourself up for when you feel you are ready to invest.It seems that you are looking for a "mentor" that will help you learn the fundamentals as you progress which is great; however, a lesson I learned is that it is difficult finding a reputable mentor without offering some sort of "value."

There are some things you can do to protect yourself, such as getting multiple estimates and sticking with contractors that are reputable (for example, I found that sites that have a rating that contractors need to maintain like Angie's List provides better contractors versus places like Craigslist where it's the wild West.).

Management seems low...never seen a reputable firm below 7% of gross rentsYou have an ARV of $400k, but your analysis says CAP places value at $323K...if the value is $323k, and you pay $370k?

When I do acquire properties from the sale, the cost to “qt” the title from a reputable law firm is always factored in.

I value my reputation more than anything I could say in 10 seconds.

Could a mortgage be denied even if a foundation has been repaired by a reputable company and the work comes with a warranty?

I perceive if you have a reputation as a closer you can still find some good deals, if you don’t well it’s going to be pretty tough to get an actual good deal right now.

Brokers' poor reputation has caused many brokers to rebrand themselves as “Commercial Real Estate Advisors” or “Real Estate Consultants.”This is similar to the Wealth Management and insurance industries, where commissioned salespeople pretend to be professionals who always keep the client’s best interests in mind.

The mortgage company doesn't care as long as their lein gets paid off correctly, as it should if you are using a reputable title company.The 1031 exchange is a totally different issue.