As a buyer, you don't pay commissions so why not add the bench strength and get some help with the heavy lifting. 

Sometimes it’s all about strength in numbers particularly when you’re green.

Ho with what fits your goals and strengths. 

There's strength in numbers)My target market is Central California...

in a great neighborhood would play more to your strengths than would a fabulous house in a so-so neighborhood.  

from my experience.. if your borrowing from a commercial bank PGS are required for the entire length of the loan.everything is negotiable of course depending on the strength of the borrower but most commercial banks in the US its in their bylaws they simply do not do loans with out them.. same with most HML ers.when you get to very large agency debt type loans then PGS are not used.. since very few would have the means personally to pay off huge loans anyway.. they are moot.. 

@Dustin BurtTake your too strength an offer it as a service to whomever u would like to learn from.

Or leave it in as a shareholder contribution to reduce your debt or hold for unexpected expenses, either of which can positively impact your balance sheet showing strength where a lender wants to see it.

I can drive around the city on days off and see that there are significantly fewer grown men hanging out doing nothing during a work day in Pawtucket than there used to be, and a few new businesses and restaurants, but I am not sure what metrics would be most important to look at in order to really understand the towns I am looking at.Does anyone have any suggestions on metrics I can look at that can help me understand the strength of the economic growth of a town?

After learning and educating myself, I feel ready to seek my first investment property and luckily I think I've found the perfect partner (we fill in each others strengths/weaknesses).