I'd love to utilize their expertise when assessing a property since they are local but I'm not sure what the general expectation is when I don't have a tangible property and I have not entered into contract to work with them yet.Some questions I have are: local regulations/permitting timeline, property's potential from their perspective, landscaping/amenities cost estimate (they also help facilitate this).

I'd love to utilize their expertise when assessing a property since they are local but I'm not sure what the general expectation is when I don't have a tangible property and I have not entered into contract to work with them yet.Some questions I have are: local regulations/permitting timeline, property's potential from their perspective, landscaping/amenities cost estimate (they also help facilitate this).

None of these originators are allowed to assess you as a higher risk because you paid off a mortgage early. 

If you have mastered RE principles, assessing the value of the collateral is fairly easy. 

I've flipped about a dozen properties here in Chicago, and quite honestly, it felt like something different went wrong on each one of them.My biggest piece of advice is to KEEP IT SIMPLE starting out. 

Mount Airy in particular is probably the most difficult neighborhood in Philadelphia to learn and there's no way you can do so from a computer reviewing rental rates and crime assessments. 

I would also recommend looking at cities close to Greenville, like Anderson, Easley, & Simpsonville as well since Greenville can be competitive unless you are looking at off-market deals.Also the non-occupancy tax would be based on the tax assessed value of the property and not the income it produces.

But I like the idea of finding someone to help analyze and assess risk!

A licensed property manager should have access to the MLS which would put you on realtor.com, Zillow, and probably a dozen or more other websites.You don't need professional photographs, but they should be improved.

Having bought 15+ houses and condos and toured many dozens more, this always seemed like a waste of the agent’s time, with only an arguable security benefit to sellers.