We had a couple companies come in and give wild quotes to rework our system, then found a guy who showed up with schematics and trade journal articles on our particular system, spent 2 hours educating us on it, then cost about $500 to go around and fix all the crappy work previous "contractors" did to the system to try "fixing" it. 

Cash for keys is definitely the best way to get people out in the day when I was very active at court houses steps cash for keys was by far the best way to get folks to move and bad tenants in a state with bad eviction laws to me would be the preferred method. you simply pay them when they are leaving the house not before.. that works fine and you give them more than 1k .. you make it worth their while..

All contractors (no matter the trade) are businesses, and should be run as such.

I have a 6-figure land business & am just here to help (no affiliate links).The best land investing program I have seen is Jonathon Haveles with The Land Method and Land Riches Blueprint. 

Have you done any research on what method of investing you would like to do?

Investors should fully understand that Section 8 is not a cure-all for Class C & D tenant challenges, it's just trading one set of problems for another.We see too many investors not doing enough research to fully understand all this and making naïve investing decisions.

Other methods will differ.Yes, I agree with that example.

Find Brandon's videos on YouTube for the "four square" method of analyzing homes and practice.

I am newly married and have a hefty mortgage myself, but I manage to save a decent amount of money realistically 10-15k a year I have been working as a construction worker as long as I have been working I am a mason by trade and even though moneys tight I know I will be a successful investor even in the current market.

Always have backup subs as well, and in my case I have spent time learning all the trades so in a bind I can fill in and get it done myself if I have to.