What is preventing me from moving forward at the moment is the contractor part.For example. if the advice I receive is that in order to enable a good flip i would need to be very hands on and that contractors are hard to find , I would likely avoid a more aggressive project like a multi shell.I am looking to flip and hold the first property with the hopes of getting an attractive entry point for cash flow.

If you can find yourself a Realtor that specializes in this type of inventory you'll have more than enough options to choose from & theoretically experience a more professional closing as the Realtor would be using all of the state required forms, licensed title companies & proper deeds etc.....Now all of the above aside no matter how you come across the property whether it be Realtor, Turnkey Operator, Wholesaler or FSBO whenever you are buying a property out of state you should do a few things to ensure the experience is as smooth as possible.

You could partner with a more experienced real estate investor and see if they can come up with more unique ideas for your particular situation.

However, with a more sophisticated seller, you're more likely to see these kinds of deals succeed.So, I guess that obstacles count as a con - it may be better to avoid all the hassle by just using regular channels.A pro I can think of is being able to negotiate your own terms.

As long as he doesn't have keys or a completely signed off lease you can tell them that you have decided to go with a more qualified tenant.  

Then you go back and. do a more accurate rehab analysis once you got more info.Have you heard/agree of this method? 

For those who are self-employed with no full time employees, the Solo 401(k) format provides similar checkbook control over funds in a slightly different configuration - but with a more robust retirement plan.Several providers of both services are active here on BP. 

You could try going in in-person and see if you get a more straight forward response.

What we don't know is whether that is just a more severe version of the normal September slow-down or if it's a precursor to a bigger slow-down to come.I personally like the buy and hold thing so I think it's fine to buy now.

If you can shed more light on your duties in the deal, I can provide you with a more specific answer.