Make sure you understand the basic math, what qualifies as a good investment, how to manage your investment and prevent losses, etc.I would start with Set For Life by Scott Trench.

I like the idea of a hold back until the punchlist is complete, but that doesn't prevent an unscrupulous contractor from stealing the initial deposit...

Used correctly it will help remove all sorts of stains.

You can only do so much to prevent worst-case scenarios  EXACTLY!!!

If the tenants leave cereal boxes out and the house gets overrun with ants, it's still your responsibility as the landlord to have pest control in place to prevent or treat the problem.

just really disappointing that the loan officer knew we wanted to rent it out and when the real estate savvy guy wasn't there, made the other buyer sign something preventing that. 

Moving forward blindly on that deal would have put our investors money at risk, which isn't an option, so WE took a $60k haircut to prevent that.

You're looking for finishes that hold up to wet glasses and don't chip, upholstery fabrics that don't stain, and furniture that doesn't sag or break.

They are trying to prevent investors/brother in laws from "stealing one".

(I just went through probate when my mom passed and it sucks and would like to prevent my successors from having to deal with the same if possible).Bonus question, one of my properties is still under mortgage, he mentioned something about transferring it to an LLC can trigger a due-on-sale clause but not when transferred to a Trust.