Hello everyone at bigger pockets my name is Ezekiel Marshall I'm 24 years old and a professional basketball player who's looking to get into real estate.

The rub is obviously it's hard for someone who is not a player in the market to get the time of day from them.  

But as you move up in the RE world and out of the realm of flipping SFR's you will experience very different players.. and beleive me the big boys will look at your REAL ability to close... and again why I say one should always be able to close to protect your investment.

Many hard money guys enjoy knowing that they can lend at 60% if ARV - foreclose - get control of the asset for 75 cents on the dollar after remodel and court fees...For a newbie to borrow money from a sophisticated hard money guy, who may be a shark in the business I described above, is not the smartest idea ever...I know plenty of hard money players; some in my family - never once borrowed that way.

He should be good at marketing, a skilled negotiator on your behalf, have his ear to the ground for movement/conditions in the market/neighborhood, utilize and share MLS data to come up with comps/ARV, have contacts with key players (inspectors, contractors, government officials, loan officers, attorneys, property managers, other investors, off-market deals etc.), quickly manage all the cumbersome paperwork/contracts/communication/scheduling, and know how to navigate a lot of the bumps that often prevent deals from closing while keeping all parties on the same page and moving forward.

@Charles Worth  right now I see them spread all over the country to competition in any one market will be negligable.. but if one decided to concentrate on a market and they bring in cheaper capital.. they will cream the best players and deals as the flippers who are getting squeezed on profit will be looking for cheaper capital.. 

As an example, around our area, it is predominantly occupied by a few big players (seems like @Rob Beland as well).  

Also, would you even need all these players on your first deal?

I did have one question though:  Some of you mentioned the pros of real estate investing is you're buying locally instead of competing with people worldwide (stock market).  

Poker players, musicians, etc.