There isn't a need for a listing agreement if there is an actual buyer.I would avoid any knuckle head trying to sell you on signing a listing agreement when they have a "buyer".

Most of these companies are fraudulent (not saying they are) and take advantage of those in distressIf you are behind on your mortgage speak to your mortgage company - we buy defaulted debt and nothing good comes out of ignoring or avoiding the conversation.

If a problem tenant has told me they are moving and then they don't pay rent, I tell them in writing when I'll be by to post their 3-day notice, what if anything they can still do to avoid my late fee and then I don't worry or stress anymore.

Or do you think we could network to find mentor/partners and avoid the large up-front investment? 

I have help grow the central az area to 57 houses.

. - We've found issues where owners was NOT on the deed and was scammed- We've also had to patiently explain to owners that since an LLC owned the property, that the management contract had to be in the LLC name and we needed proof they could sign for the LLC.2) Property Taxes: we make sure we know the status, to avoid tax foreclosure issues.- Took over several properties for an out-of-country owner last year that we're in the midst of tax foreclosure.

If the seller is unwilling to negotiate, walking away could be a wise choice to avoid unforeseen expenses and health risks.

While the "type" of neighborhood can sometimes make tenant approval criteria a little more flexible, we always try to avoid making desperate decisions that could lead to future evictions.The rise in evictions that you're seeing could be partly due to landlords lowering their standards to fill units quickly, which might lead to issues down the road with tenants who can't pay rent consistently or have a history of instability.

I most want to avoid spending considerable time showing units in-person to prospective renters, esp. before we've pre-screened them.

If you're getting back into the lending game for long-term hold investors, a realistic “ideal” loan might look like this:Rates: Somewhere around 6-8% interest, depending on the risk profile of the borrower and the property.LTV: 70-80% LTV is solid, especially if you're aiming for lower risk.Term: 5-10 years works for LTR investors who want stability.Fees: Reasonable origination fee (1-2%) is expected, but avoid nickel-and-diming borrowers with hidden fees.Prepayment: A soft prepayment penalty could be fair if paid off in the first couple of years, but after that, no penalties.Speed: Being able to close quickly (within a couple of weeks) would be a huge plus.In short, give investors a competitive rate, decent terms, and flexibility on prepayment, and you’re golden.