From not having an attorney draft the docs, to trying to cheat the system with the deed in lieu to not professionally servicing the loan.

Curb appeal for higher-end properties will be much more important, especially when it comes to marketing - most ads and main listing photos feature the front of the property.In this case, I would consult with a professional - i.e. landscape designer or stager.

Readers should seek professional advice.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

It sounds like the reason you wanted to do this was to achieve Real Estate Professional Status. 

I would consider them to be more of a consultancy than a turnkey provider, and as such I think they provide tremendous value.Of course I could do all the legwork from scratch - research markets and properties, find lenders, get home inspectors and insurance and property managers and so forth - but RTR has already done all that and has far more experience and knowledge than I do.

If you’re serious about bidding, investing in a professional title search is worth it to minimize risk.

Readers should seek professional advice.Thank you, Ashish.

Your yield on your money will be, of course, exactly 4.3%.

But I would be sure to look into that & speak to a tax professional up there before dumping too much time into research.