They all have yards and a driveway , its not like living in an apartment .   

You want an area with a good rental pool and a good property to rent to them.

These are professionals with additional training and a stricter code of ethics.

And as someone that grew up in Missouri, this post caught my eye, particularly because I'd never heard of Lebanon, MO so I had to look it up on Google Maps.

I love working with their agents and financing team, yes, they are not the cheapest one but I've found good deals with them ( since then I bought more properties) and a good deal it's all you need.

A first time wholesaler doing a "subject-to" deal is highly likely to be working with a novice real estate investor who doesn't know what they are doing, and a highly irresponsible, highly desperate, likely elderly seller, who doesn't know what they are doing.

No guaranteed way to stop a determined, experienced thief:(Only deterrents that push them to easier jobs.The roof may be a good idea - until they figure out the just need a ladder to get up there and a rope to lower it down. 

The guarantee of getting paid and a high hourly rate would be what would entice them to use the hourly rate structure over a commission structure.  

This gives you flexibility and a clearer understanding of how you’ll proceed based on market changes.

Availability and a whatever-it-takes-whenever mindset is critical too.