How can you tell the difference between the real thing, and what kind of scams do these people run?

It's those maniacs that buy homes cash via quit claim deed off of craigslist that really get screwed.Make sure your property manager is a licensed real estate brokerage.Google Clayton Morris scam and/or Morris Invest scam for a cautionary tale of what not to do when buying turnkey real estateUnderstand you can not eliminate all risk, only mitigate it.

Anytime they ask for money up front, it’s a scam.  

Is the knocking all a scam or is getting solar panels on your home 1) Worth the effort 2) cost me anything 3)how will this effect my home value.

A lot of people don't really want to  devote the amount of time or money that is needed to fix up an older place. 

Also the details of the bed count and sq ft were incorrectSeems to be all scams, but I have never done this before, and hoping someone on here knows how to navigate Craigslist more successfully than I do!

real estate investing as a side project" --- Why did you word it that way, and how much time do people really devote to learning about side projects...what will you devote?"...

@Angel Perezhttps://www.wlwt.com/amp/article/two-cincinnati-men-sentenced-in-nationwide-foreclosure-rescue-scam/42125327In some states like maryland approaching a borrower in pre foreclosure is regulatedhttps://www.dllr.state.md.us/license/mrec/mrecshortsales.shtml

I have been a victim of a scam.

@Brian Masterson this is ANOTHER BS " SCAM" in Cleveland, just another way to make money.