In my mind I see the property as the last piece of the puzzle, I'd like to secure an Agent, PM and handy man and/or contractor before picking up some property, for me mentally it just makes sense to have these in place with the understanding it all may not work out that way.

What has had me most puzzled is why the lender would be waiting so long to blow out his very low offer given it is probably 70% of market value and 50% of debt amounts?  

The burden is always on the investor to validate the information and do their own research, but a knowledgeable agent should be able to help supply some puzzle pieces. - How do most people estimate the cost to rehab?

Instead of crowdsourcing this knowledge and putting together the puzzle pieces of these posts in the background, you might want to sit down with a Real Estate CPA. 

What's your typical cost look like to do these exploratory studies?

Less money spent on supplies, less wear and tear on your place, less money spent on utilities, fewer guest headaches, etc.Bottom line: there’s a LOT of puzzle pieces you have to get right to make this work really well, but once you master it, it can be very rewardingI preferred to invest in the year-round high revenue parts of the US where you can earn a lot of money year-round.

For me, personally, finding the right property manager is a key piece of the puzzle.

This is my first STR.A good CPA and tax strategist is the biggest piece of the puzzle to scaling  

Because I do alot of creative real estate, the best book I can recommend for solving real estate puzzles with creative solutions ishttp://www.amazon.com/Finance-Real-Estate-Place-Ti...Promotional Quote, "Ever wonder how real estate magnates become real estate magnates?

I am in the exploratory phase right now and my goal is to learn the process as fully as possible before making any moves.