Those companies you asked about are more for deal finding and direct contact to off-market sellers, is that what you are looking for? 

Again, thank you for being direct.  

It is a large, old Victorian in a small, rural town.

It’s easy to manipulate projected returns by making a few small adjustments in the underwriting and proforma.There is nothing guaranteed with any investment.A few additional comments:1. 

I needed something small to learn from and for my mother How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?

That said, utilities that aren't directly attributed to a unit can be a pain in the neck because everyone is sure that the other unit(s) are using more power than they are.

I needed something small to learn from and for my mother How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?

You will have enough for a small downpayment on each option, depending on the area chosen in each case, and you won't have much of a cushion after closing costs. 

I needed something small to learn from and for my mother How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?

The problem (as you have cited) is trying to understand what you need (you don't know what you don't know), where to get it, qualifying its source(s), and the validity and usefulness of all that.Pardon me if I've gone into this too much, but I meet many people with the same concerns that you are voicing and this is offered, as much as possible in direct response to your post.Please feel free to contact me if you have any comments or questions.