If not, any recommendations on ways to find a reputable and good agent to work with to help a novice RE investor get their first property?

Tina and Joseph go back to the same bank and get a home equity loan for $360,000 to buy a turnkey rental property in Jacksonville run by an extremely reputable management company that provides a steady $200 in cashflow a month, great passive investment with excellent appreciation potential, just like the BP community told her.For the next five years they continue to pay off the original mortgage and the home equity loan, and by 2013 they owe $70,000 on the original mortgage and $305,000 on the home equity loan.

I have a similar project going on and it is a pain in the butt trying to get ideas, and then trying to source the manufacturer and then vendor.

I don't live in the area, but there are several property management companies that seem reputable.

I work in an office with a reputable brokerage called Citibrokers. 

Other times, not so much.From a reputable contractor perspective, I stopped taking investor work a couple of years ago.

(your reputation is everything)3.

Just get a reputable GC, pay the exorbitant amount of money on the front-end but have the peace of mind that everything is done right on the back-end.  

If you get a reputation for not closing, when you go to do more if them, you won't be taken seriously.

Not to mention that manufactured home building techniques continue to improve.