It seems like everytime the forums change, its using a sledgehammer when you could use a well-placed screw or two.

No hammer swinging, no landlording, no anything.

Also, that deal hasn't been hammered out yet... hence "possible". 

Some recommendations that we have done so far:Podcast: Real Estate Rookie PodcastBooks:Rich Dad Poor Dad - Robert KiyosakiRich Dad's Cashflow Quadrant - Robert KiyosakiThink and Grow Rich - Napoleon HillThe Richest Man in Babylon - George ClasonThe Book on Rental Property Investing - Brandon TurnerThe Book on Investing in Real Estate with No (low) Money Down - Brandon TurnerWe do all our books on Audible so we can hammer through them while doing other things. 

The other reason people are wary of REITs is a whole lot of investors got hit pretty hard 3-5- years ago when unlisted REITS were getting hammered due to a poor RE market, and were trying to maintain plans for going public.

True vandalism like "tagging" walls with paint, taking a hammer to cabinets, toilets, tubs, doors etc. is pretty easy to identify.

Maybe punch back with an OWC offer--and a home inspection done by a proper home inspector with a written report, plus a survey to know if you have one lot or two (one transaction or two).You will probably want a local closing attorney who knows how to make this happen safely for you (draw up the needed paperwork, deed(s), etc....And if you are not a Hammer Swinging type guy, you will probably want to get bids to do the Fix-ups you want to have done when you take over. 

The value you add could be swinging the hammer for free in exchange for them teaching you about investing or even finding deals and providing it to them in exchange for them showing you how they evaluate the deal and how they would buy it. 

They're on a slab, so when the bathrooms were added, they had to build up to fit the plumbing without hammer jacking the whole place.This a slab on grade? 

Others may occupy, self manage, swing a hammer for their own fixes and thats how they get started.