On top of this I would ask around on local message boards and/or other investors who have used them.50% on a small handyman type of job isn't unreasonable, but 50% on a large job should be pause for due diligence, not that I wouldn't do it depending on my trust and experience with the individual but definitely a cause for due diligence.As has been said before, for every shady contractor, their is usually an equal number of shady customers.

We gave us on Navy Federal, while the rep wanted to pause our application at 42 days, because the time element made him look bad.  

Something about it being more than half way to something rather gave me a moment of pause, yes indeed...As it turned out, however, 40 was quite a year for my family and I.

I've made a career that includes buy outs and expensive work outs when TIC partners die.Were you to give the seller a purchase money note and mortgage/DOT for part of the equity you buy, you can write your own terms, including when payment begin, stop or pause.

Total in house process.Not all investors can "in house" the whole process which is a HUGE advantage.I agree using self directed funds IS a great vehicle, (which I am currently utilizing for our acquisitions) but before folks go running off to convert their life savings, here's a few things that caught my attention about this situation.My post is really for the newer people to really pause for a moment before going "all in".Flipping can bury you if you have a "pie in the sky mentality" and your only trade experience is a slew of "Flip this house" re-runs.He's been doing it for 40 years.

I am kind of on pause at the moment trying to figure out my next moves, but those are the areas that I like!

Kenvest,Thank you so very much for your tangible legal fact, I’d just called my realtor’s staff manager in regards with "time is of the essence", without a pause, he then tells me it’s already on the contract, he was stuttering and said he’ll reread the contract after I asked him why did he agreed with me then when I though I would have to lose the 3% of the selling price for breaching the contract if I’d decided not to agreed with their last postponing and wanted out, in addition to my comment to him that there ought to have some kind of protection for my situation.Just myself to blame for not reading the contract thoroughly (rookie’s lesson # 1); took it for granted; relied on the realtor’s verbal review of the contract with me which appointments always set to be her last one of the day (whenever comes to signing anything) and under a time pressed that she’d to leave soon to pick up a member of her family… I would have dropped this deal if she’d elaborated that term especially when the seller is not responding to my asking of some kind of compensation (naturally, since I’d agreed to their last postponing without using that as a leverage at the same time), let along she didn’t let me know about the property is in a flood zone until the last minute when I’d to signed off my contingencies (supposedly a week prior that they’d even admitted but with an excuse) and reluctantly went through with this deal since I’d spent so much time and effort on this property already, on top of the $1K spent on “two“ inspections along with the upfront appraisal… 101 other reasons for me to make a snap decision now to drop this deal in a heartbeat without worrying the losing of 3%!

These kind of numbers are giving me pause about plans for 2017/2018 as I've begun to flip houses.  

Archie, I rather like your idea of pausing, your self awareness about being new, and educating yourself (about both real estate investing and landlording).

The HOA and special assessments alone should give everyone pause.