It's free to sign up for an account and the savings account has a very competitive interest rate.

You can also personalize and theme larger homes better and seperate from the competition a bit. 3.

A professional property manager should handle the heavy lifting, ensuring your investment is protected and profitable without adding stress to your plate.

I've got a good amount of contractors I use for our long term buy & holds with heavy reno's up front. 

I've seen banks be very competitive with blanket loans that cover multiple properties and/or multi-family properties, e.g. 5+ units.Mortgage Brokers (obviously I'm biased) - Brokers have the ability to work with all of the above and can get you to the best lender for your scenario right away instead of having you waste your time with the wrong type of lender.

I am in a very competitive market here in the Tampa Florida area (Clearwater, Saint Petersburg and beach areas). 

I don't see a 401k/IRA as a competition with real estate as with the correct setup, you can self-direct 401k/IRA funds into real estate.

It felt like everyone I found were self-serving, looking to line their own pockets, or not willing guide because of fear of competition.

Starting to look at possibly investing there.Great, but also expensive and competitive.

You’re absolutely right—speed is such a critical factor in securing deals, especially in a competitive market.