I would like some honest opinions/ experiences from everyone about my crazy plan!

Because your statements are extremely misleading (unintentionally I suppose).

Verifying last 2 years of rental history and income extremely important to find the “best of the worst”.Make sure you understand the Class of properties you are looking at and the corresponding results to expect.The City of Detroit has 183 Neighborhoods we’ve analyzed.DM us if you’d like to discuss this logical approach in greater detail!

With regard to renovations, I always suggest taking incremental steps to bigger renovations or partnering with someone who has already done a renovation at that level.I've been known to just go for the big rehabs for my personal investments here in Chicago , and during that process, it's always more stressful than it needs to be...As far as navigating the competition, I've found the best thing I can do is get EXTREMELY CLEAR  on what I am looking for; then I am confident pulling the trigger quicky. 

Honestly, I think this might be more symptomatic of larger issues in the real estate world in general.

> Many, basically get taken advantage of by those in the industry that have an incentive to keep newbies blind to new realties, just to keep their good times rolling.If someone poses an inquiry on this forum, I provide my honest opinion (which it typically that the investment is unlikely to provide a return that justifies the effort & risk).  

Self-showing services are extremely common but that should be in the contract. 

We have been working to be extremely conservative with our estimates but with this being our first go at this, any additional expertise is greatly appreciated! 

Extremely communicative and Bob spent time over multiple phone calls answering specific questions I had concerning the deal.

I've learned that it's extremely important to find balance in this industry as your passion for your business can impact your personal life greatly!