Then you can pretty easily calculate what the holding costs of that home will be and when you'll have to replace those systems.

That would not be from the appraiser but rather a score the appraisal was given by an automated system. 

While he’s definitely a self-made guru, he comes across as someone who genuinely wants to do the right thing when you speak with him.I understand many of you have had frustrating experiences and feel let down by the system, and I’m truly sorry to hear that.

What you seem to be missing is your main need is an accounting system.  

@Jeff Love Here are the things that many CPAs support their clients with:Understanding tax impact of short-term vs. long-term vs. flip before you buyWhich entity structure is best for goals and investment property typeTax and compliance on LLC or S-CorpHow to transfer property out of personal name into LLC (hard to buy 1st through entity)Ways to optimize taxes throughout the yearHow best to set up accounting to track income and expenses (doing this late is a mess)Feedback on property management systems, accounting systems. systems, etcEstimated payments to avoid penaltiesKnowing when to file and getting things in on timeMaybe a few things I missed, but this is the high-level ….. if you can get answers to the above questions on your own, plan, and file your own taxes then you can avoid the expense of a CPA.

I make sure that they help in creating new systems and processes, always asking for their advice.  

Becoming a property owner.The hardest part about this right now is underwriting deals, remaining patient and disciplined.Outside of that, the actual details of managing the property are only hard if you do not have systems in place, delegate responsibility, and don't fully comprehend what physical asset investments require-- capex & opex heavy.

It doesn't happen much and probably won't be a process lenders go through in a systemic search until we hit closer to double digit rates on those 2 and 3% loans. 

@Allen Masry to echo everyone’s sentiments here, be patient, educate yourself because as quick as that money comes, it could go away just as quick if you make hasty decisions, especially on people giving advice on Internet forums like these.That being said, settlements take much longer to come in than you might think.  

The systems you have in place to handle leads, follow-up and your sales processes are also huge factors.Another factor is what is your monthly marketing budget?