First I'll preface this that I've been practicing in real estate for over 10 years and have sold $120M+ in real estate as an agent.

Our RE lawyer no longer operates his private practice and we are looking for some recommendations in the Phx/Scottsdale area.

Probably going to get hate for this but google sheets or excel is the most practical here.

College rentals work in both, but not always a great option for a first-time landlord. 450k can get you a small multi or you could row house or similar for less and practice as a landlord

Standard practice these days in all advanced countries.

You have to keep in mind that when you're looking at Zillow, you're practically looking at deals that "everyone" is looking at.

They are not ethical and do not practice good business. 

This might be a lot of new information for you so feel free to ask if you have any questions.As has already been suggested, you might want to consult with a good real estate attorney who practices in the area where the property is located. 

An investor friendly agent can do all sorts of helpful things, like setting you up with a search for properties or connecting you with folks who have recently done deals like the ones you want to do. 6) Consider analyzing a deal or two in your local market, just for practice, with a free use of our Rental Property Calculator (or other calculators).

It is good practice to obtain from them the actual 1098 and to remind them that they are no longer entitled to the deduction since they aren't making the payments anymore (again, these things are usually spelled out in the sub2 agreement).