My cousin tells me that it's vital two would become friends before anything business related.

Knowledge is vital, I recommend finding a mentor and shadow them.

Vital area, vs.

I know this isn’t vital, but if there is someone awesome to work with in this market I would love to give them my business!

Some say it's vital to keep any tenant deposits in a dedicated account (savings/CD ladder/FDIC-insured accessible thing) so commercial landlord accounting books reflect that this is a definitively separate non-fungible account from other spending accounts. 

That is the most important thing you can do with a vital team member. 

Once you make contact with the homeowner you obviously must get the Authorization to Release but a document I discovered that is vital is a Cease-and-Desist letter.

To be honest other then what has been stated i dont know much ...i know that it is vital to build a team who you can trust and that are honest.

@Tammy Vitale I just sent you a PM.

If you want to be a successful real estate investor you need to find a good real estate investment coach, it is vital to set your goals first.