HOWEVER - it may be difficult for the appraiser to access the true value if a large percentage of transactions are not in the MLS.  

While I help people find their dream homes daily, my true passion lies in real estate investing and building long-term wealth.

✅= You're probably fineWhat Gets You in Trouble:Can't explain structureHidden arrangementsToo good to be true tax benefitsPartner disputesBottom Line:IRS cares about substance over form.

The true censorship now is basically anything that makes the company looks bad, and that's not for the best of the forums.

My humble advice to anyone attempting to do creative finance is:Creative finance is for experienced investors who have access to capital if anything goes wrong.Learn the lawsDon't use a contract "off the internet", laws vary by state and are also regulated on a federal levelLearn the financing techniques correctlyDon’t skip parts of the processDon’t ever do a “kitchen table” closingUse the proper deedAn attorney can help you with the legal work, but the rest you are on your ownYour guru will not bail you out“Investing” in someone else’s deal by providing a small 2nd loan so the “investor” can pay for “cash to the seller” and for “closing costs” so he can do the deal is a very bad planKnow what problems can ariseLearn the responses and solutions to problems before they are neededKnow everything there is to know about Title and what that meansKnow who a "protected class" individual isLearn the "back doors"Learn human natureUnderstand timelinesUnderstand regulation enforcement (some of these "mistakes" have a 10 year statue of limitations ( they can charge you 10 years AFTER you do the transaction) and carry hefty fines and possible imprisonmentThe court doesn't accept "I didn't know" for an answer"Know that the source of the lead plays a serious role in some states and federallyKnow how much of a "profit" pushes the boundaries to invite an investigationYou can be sued by the seller if you don’t do things correctlyYou are automatically at fault if an investigator or attorney or regulator gets involved.

I've also developed a spreadsheet for a TRUE rental income calculator—which goes beyond just calculating net income—by incorporating many of the parameters you mentioned.Do you think it’s a good idea to buy a new construction house from builders for the first deal, especially considering aspects like tax offsets and depreciation?

Leverage - someone mentioned Real Estate doesn't beat stock market returns and while that might be true in absolute terms, it's definitely beat the market when you consider leverage.

Imagine investing in all new, beautiful finishes, only to discover that the drain pipes are faulty and need to be replaced—an issue that could have been identified and addressed beforehand." very true, sometimes it's like rolling a dice. 

I don't know if theirs is too good to be true and actually I think the fact that they have the VA system set up to work on leads for you is a huge plus.

2  - I often read about some wholesalers lack of knowledge and I must agree that sometimes, it is very true.