There isn´t much in the way of short cuts there - if you want to do it right you need to spend time on the ground networking with fellow professionals and checking out all your references.

Thank you for opening my post.I was haphazardly dumping cash in San Diego rental properties since 2006.I don't call it investing, because I had no idea what I was doing.

There is no short cut for experience and an inexperienced agent is of little value to an investor.I hope this helps you in setting smart and realistic goals for yourself. 

Wholesaling can be a great way to get started but treat it just like any other business & not as a short cut to being an investor/rehabber.

.^ That might sound dramatic, but its very real.Also, having all the education set-up in a curriculum and mentorship and connections with other syndicators will short cut your curve by probably 10 years.2) Invest passively as a LP in 2 deals ($50k per deal).

They still can't short cut learning their local market but they don't see too far off on a good start.  

Yes, you too can join them.Caveat - they haven’t come up with shortcuts for perfecting one’s skills yet.

•If $500 or $1,000 EMD is collected, is escrow always “opened”, or is there some sort of short-cut process for holding the funds, given the uncertainty of the transaction closing.

The search engines are constantly striving to deliver the best results to their searchers and although there are some shortcuts to great search results positioning, there's no substitute for good unique content.

I like my management company, but the problem is that when something happens (flooding this summer) that needs immediate attention, the management company tends to be hit with all the houses flooding and no longer have time to manage mine effectively.In your case, a direct line with the tenant can shortcut a lack of communication from the PM, as well as be able to provide verification of PM claims.