@Heshel Mangel, practically, a bank isn't going to originate a loan for the value of a home that only obligates half the value of the home in the event of default.

Unfortunately, I do not have much to suggest practically because I do not know the market well in Staten Island, but good luck with your efforts!

That is a extremely poor business practice that places the tenant in control and the landlord at their beck and call begging for money.

I work full time as a naturopathic physician and for the first 5 years in private practice we rented our office space.

@Sam Besong Wholesaling as you are practicing it is illegal in Massachusetts unless you have a license to sell real estate.Here is Mass General Laws, Title XVI, Chapter 112, Sec. 87pp, describing the activities that require a license:"''Real estate broker'', hereinafter referred to as broker, any person who for another person and for a fee, commission or other valuable consideration, or with the intention or in the expectation or upon the promise of receiving or collecting a fee, commission or other valuable consideration, does any of the following: sells, exchanges, purchases, rents or leases, or negotiates, or offers, attempts or agrees to negotiate the sale, exchange, purchase, rental or leasing of any real estate, or lists or offers, attempts or agrees to list any real estate, or buys or offers to buy, sells or offers to sell or otherwise deals in options on real estate, or advertises or holds himself out as engaged in the business of selling, exchanging, purchasing, renting or leasing real estate, or assists or directs in the procuring of prospects or the negotiation or completion of any agreement or transaction which results or is intended to result in the sale, exchange, purchase, leasing or renting of any real estate."

You may want to consider getting at least some tenants as quickly as possible so you don't get buried in rehab costs and carrying costs simultaneously. 

If you don't want to ruin your credibility in the market that you are planning on investing in, try making calls in a market you know you are not going to invest in for practice.   

However if you practice ethically, the obligated fiduciary responsibilities differentiates you from the mountain of wholesalers that may be looking to make a quick buck.The demand for wholesalers has risen due the investors' need for quality deals and their inability to get boots on the ground to find them.

some realtors will come to the closings my wife does and I used to when I did retail .. but as a general practice we never actually go to a closing.

I am also thinking of doing part-time agent work but not sure how feasible that is or its not even practical.