However, for $8,000, I received no live training—just videos—and was left to navigate the deal on my own, despite assurances of a dedicated consultant guiding me through every step.This ordeal has left me devastated.

If option 1 is not possible, does anyone have any ideas on how I could navigate this to still get a great deal?

It's an important distinction to make.You're right that passing on legitimate increased costs to customers is a normal business practice.

You can create custom maps to mark areas of interest, track properties you're considering, and note key amenities like schools, shopping centers, and public transport.

In real estate, a broker or a salesperson can be the agent of a seller or a buyer.Here’s a list of the fiduciary duties that an agent owes her client:Accounting: The agent must account for all funds entrusted to her and not commingle (combine) client/customer funds with her personal and/or business funds.Care: The agent must use all of her skills to the best of her ability on behalf of the client.Confidentiality: The agent must keep confidential any information given to her by her client, especially information that may be damaging to the client in a negotiation.Disclosure: The agent must disclose to the client any information she receives that may benefit the client’s position in a negotiation.Loyalty: The agent owes undivided loyalty to the client and puts the client’s interests above her own.Obedience: The agent must obey all lawful orders that the client gives her.

I can help you navigate the area & find property/connections that meets your goals, I will send you a message and we can go from there!

They can help you navigate these complexities and find the best financing strategy for your investment goals.

Better customer service, IMHO.

Getting experience local where you have more opportunity to vet things and see things in person will help you navigate building teams from a distance. 

so what really happened is unrealized HTM loss doesn't need to be recorded in the book so they dont have to sell it EXCEPT if there's massive withdraw from customer AKA bank runs.It's the bank run that causing the bank to collapse.So in theory you can avoid issue by saving the money that has the smaller holding of HTM paper or invest in the bank where there're more incoming asset coming-in.