I have only just begun, but have read and plan to reread the intelligent investor.

And 36 Other Key Financial Measures http://amzn.to/Zv0Zph Frank and I don’t agree on everything but this book is the bible as far as I’m concerned.Frank also has another book called '10 Commandments for Real Estate Investors' that I reread every other month or so as a reminder: http://amzn.to/15ikXL0Ken McElroy has two great books on apartment investments and one on property management: The ABCs of Real Estate Investing: The Secrets of Finding Hidden Profits Most Investors Misshttp://amzn.to/HdXVf1The Advanced Guide to Real Estate Investing: How to Identify the Hottest Markets and Secure the Best Dealshttp://amzn.to/1bcWx50The ABC's of Property Management: What You Need to Know to Maximize Your Money Nowhttp://amzn.to/1d518JKPeople often mention Dave Lindahl’s books but I think Ken’s are better, one reason being that Ken is out there doing it and was dragged into the guru thing by Kiyosaki while Dave is mostly a guru who was mentored by Ron LeGrand, one of the old school gurus (who I worked for back in the day).Also If you haven’t seen Ken's BP interview on Podcast 052: Buying Apartment Complexes, etc. here: http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2014/01/09/bp-podcast-052-raising-millions-ken-mcelroy-rich-dad/Because running an apartment is as much of a business as it is a piece of real estate I typically recommend The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E.

. - Two of the best books you can read (and re-read) are Rich Dad, Poor Dad and The 4-Hour Workweek.

And mostly , even though there is some repetition and fluff in this post , just reread the whole post , two to three times and make note of the red flags .

I dont know how long have you been doing this , if all investors/ home owners even those who are doing remodels , read and reread this post , they can avoid lot of sleepless nights .In many states , even in my home state of IL , anyone can become a GC , no exam , no skill test , no background check , no experience needed ,  no crew needed , no financial proofs needed .

Reread that last statement.

If you reread your original post, you sound pretty scattered.

I just re-read your post and you may already be doing this.

@Randy Forcier I guess the PM fee isn’t that high now that I reread but I’d think you could get 8% instead of 10%.

Right now I'm reading/rereading these.....The Bankers Code by George AntoneInvesting In Debt by Jim NapierSell or Be Sold by Grant CardoneThe King of California biography of BosewellThe Real Book of Real Estate by Kioyaski Frank R