Quote from @Cameron Moore: Exactly. 15 years ago, I noticed an increase in owners using insurance to pay for a replacement roof, usually to sweeten the pot during a sale.

The flipper pays 12.5% interest to the lender, and I receive 10% of that.

Your first year will be a learning experience, you will want to be close to the action, as you may not have the capital to pay someone to handle everything.

Every where you turn there are STRs going up on the market fully furnished because they couldn't pay the mortgage and bills with the rental income. 

I like the fact that one and a half units pays all bills.

And I would love some passive income or at least someone to pay my mortgage until we can pay it off maybe.

.- It's not profitable for them to search for under-market priced houses, figure out repairs needed or what other problem is pushing the price down and do even more for a newbie investor that has analysis-paralysis and may never buy anything.Some questions you'll want to share the answers to with any agent you choose:1) Are you paying cash or getting a mortgage?

He will pay sales commission but get his BHA back and have lived for rent free. 

It may be unreasonable to think that they have to pay for it.

what would be the justification for paying that much?