Let some of the chemicals and treatments dry out of the fresh lumber a couple of weeks before applying stain or sealant.

There are some great nuggets in this episode with @Scott Trench and @Mindy Jensen bringing some harsh truths. 

Some guys just wipe down, and some guy clean with chemicals before primer.

It is also important when using chemicals to have windows open.

I'm a chemical engineer and program director who left the defense industry in 2015 to work in the real estate market full time as an agent and investor.As an agent, I want to help people optimize what will be, for many clients, the biggest financial decision of their lives.I also plan to work for myself as an investor.  

This seems extremely harsh, so I'm hoping I'm mis-understanding something.  

I know that may seem harsh, but like others have mentioned, this is a business...you are not a non-profit.  

So, unless you're willing to dedicate pretty much all of your non-full-time work time to learning and investing, I'd recommend not bothering at this point.I know that sounds harsh, but better to not waste your time without a realistic understanding of the challenges...

I can go for a short drive and find entire neighborhoods that fit the 2% rule in my area, but I would never invest in this area unless I got an excellent price that allowed for a full redo of the plumbing/electrical/HVAC because the properties are old and undoubtedly have deferred maintenance; landlords/slumlords in the area have been known to do the work themselves; and I don't want to deal with countless minor maintenance issues (eg. leaking faucets, malfunctioning outlets, etc.) that are bound to arise in a property with old and/or shoddy plumbing/electrical/HVAC.I don't mean to sound harsh in any of my response.

Wow, this is pretty harsh!