Are they handling most of the interior design and finish selection, i.e. picking out the white oak flooring and designing the custom built-ins in the study?

They have a legal responsibility to you for how that money is handled.

Taking on a house hack deal is a great entry point but still (what feels like) a big first step.  

How are showings handled – agent-showings, open-house showings or self-showings?

Just some food for thought for those who invest in mortgage notes and think buying seconds cheap gets you in the business at a low barrier to entry  - it is cheap until you have to reinstate or payoff a first lien.

If you are first-time investor looking to buy, you don't need either of these yet because you won't know how to handle the responses.

That barrier to entry is very challenging and if $8000 is enough incentive to get ones butt going, it is worth it. 

I wanted to hire VA's to handle the cold calling aspect of things, since that is the most time consuming part in my mind.

I have not bought anything that’s already built or in another state but trying to find another state with lower barriers to entry.

Can you handle all that if you have to eat from those profits?