Those who lend hard/private money have the leverage because you don't have a better option if you're using them.Seller Financing - This is usually not easy but definitely not impossible to obtain, and the possibilities are endless because it comes down to what you and the seller agree to.

So thankful for such an amazing portal of endless resources, contacts, and topics for real estate investors.

Endless gummy bears....  

The intermediary that @Jim Costarefers to must be in place prior to your sale and they will be responsible for guiding you through the maze of nuance and the "rules behind the rules".

You might beable to buy 1 or 2 but you would be able to make a business out of it unless you had endless source of capital. 

I've been researching endlessly, but there is one question I can not seem to find an answer to.

My flipping education is limited; I joined INREIA last month and attended my first meeting, I'm pouring through all the recommended REI books, listen to endless podcasts, and of course read on BP daily.

Your suppliers can get you samples Never send them to the store they will inevitably pick something back ordered that will delay your job or not be able to decide with the endless selection.  

Hey BP, After 6 months of getting beaten up by cash paying investors, 2 realtors, and endless hours of research, I was finally able to locate and secure a property which we closed on yesterday. 

Having said that:As Bill observed, I do have 2 decades of construction experience but very little knowledge of the endless constellations of legal minutiae.