Larger company -- tried to escalate to the owner. 

- FYI: it's only illegal to try to rent it out, the property owner can usually legally live in a nonconforming basement unit.If you do all this you may still negatively cashflow each month, so make sure your income can cover and/or your cash reserves.If you do this successfully, you will learn more in 1-2 years than you would reading here on BP for 5+ years:)Good luck:)

(owns a CRM company)Wholesaler in Akron - "What types of homes do you usually look for when you are looking off-market in Akron?"

I have done extensive research in the risks, how to structure such deals to mitigate those risks as effectively as possible, and legal considerations of each strategy. 

Hiring a contractor to assist with repairs and a property management company to manage rental.

In this option your agent would either get paid from you directly in your closing costs OR from the seller via seller concessions.like Russell said, if you are comfortable with the transaction and understand what you are signing and you don't need things explained and you have connections with inspections and title companies then go for it.

I see there are some recommended companies on here.

I would start speaking with residential / commercial agents and property management companies close by and get a feeling if something closer by will meet your criteria.

Brian Davis: My company SparkRental organizes a passive real estate investment club, called the Co-Investing Club.

Go search the topic "Lifestyle Asset University" here on Bigger Pockets and you will see a longer thread with a lot of opinions (most are not members) but still worth a read as there are a half a dozen paid members from our group who have commented on that thread.We were formerly called Lifestyle Asset University, but I didn't realize that you couldn't use the word University in your company name here in Utah so we changed our name to Vodyssey.