After looking at your post, I realized it's probably necessary to have a dedicated real estate attorney handle this issue for me since it's serious and I might make a mistake big enough that probably will cost me too much money to fix.

It sounds like the biggest fear is getting funding and getting started without making a big mistake.

Mistakes and miscommunication cost people money.I did ask him to explain his transaction,  not an uncommon request, but he has failed to answer it."

Cashflow – the numbers look good and give me leeway if I have underestimated renovation costs, over estimated rental income achievable or make other mistakes I am not aware of yet!

We recently looked at a property outside our agents area (2 states away) and found a fee that was added which we questioned and were told it was a mistake and was removed . . . not sure if it was a mistake but be sure to read these new contracts BEFORE signing as things have changed since August.

My mistake. 

One mistake I made was thinking that they knew what I wanted.

An immersive 8-week virtual summit designed to help you identify opportunities, avoid costly mistakes, and build lasting wealth in 2025 and beyond.

My mistake! 

@Paola AstridRecommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.