It seems to me that they all whether paid of free, will all have the same exact amount of houses because all the transactions are all public and so they seem to compete with each other based on the quality of the data of the houses, how up to date it is, and the user experience in configuring the how the layout is.

Colors, quality of paint, how much prep needed, holes patches etc. 

and you will have many many applicants assuming the quality of the rental and the rents requested.  

I have noticed that as companies they grow, their quality and attentiveness tend to decrease. 

Contractors, unless you have a working relationship with them, normally do not want you bouncing ideas off them.Understand what their hourly rate is, have a discussion with them that you are okay with paying them an hourly rate if they walk the property with you and provide you a scope of work along with an explanation of what you can/can't get away with in regards to improvements.ask them if you go with them, if they can credit you the amount that you paid.Once you develop a working relationship with a few contractors, you can bounce ideas off them and expect quality responses.I do not invest in New York.Best of luck. 

You’ll learn the ropes on how to be a landlord with a lower risk/higher quality tenant-base. 

Many people have a mortgage on a property where the land value is much greater than the home (aka near the water) and insurance is not able to pay off your entire outstanding mortgage.

@Melissa SejourRecommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

We have one or two quality wholesalers that we are open to working with.

Here's a https://www.irs.gov/businesses/cost-segregation-audit-technique-guide-chapter-4-principal-elements-of-a-quality-cost-segregation-study-and-report to the IRS website noting specific items that are included in the cost segregation study report. hmm, that website is a 404 error.