There are few reliable short cuts to investing success.

Okay I get it, I am looking for good short cuts.

A wise investor will not try to get rich quick with shortcuts.

There are other determinations, like the majority of your time and working income, as the IRS might see it, that will put you in the light as an agent for others/public.As Karen mentioned, there are alot of managers and even agents that are not in strict compliance, for many reasons, not knowing or simply taking short cuts.

Don't think you can shortcut your way to success.

Again, this comes from knowledge and practice.There are no shortcuts -- there's just immersive education.

Taking a short cut can come back to bite you.Joe Gore

However, a wise person works hard AND smart and will take HUGE shortcut by leveraging great groups like Lifestyles and their priceless network of industry professionals and fellow passive and lead investors.4 years ago I was flipping SFRs from the courthouse steps with about $150k to my name.

If you invest haphazardly, there are a thousand things that can go wrong.

Everyone who has commented above has echoed the suggestions I receive from contractors, and it would appear that there is no short cut, but to just plan properly with an inspector, a good architect and builder, and a nice zoning officer or HPC (Historic Preservation Commitee).