Pay attention to realtors who are wanting to provide value and provide resources and make time for your inquiries without ever expecting anything from you in return.

Fannie Mae will allow you to transfer the deed to an LLC if you decide to try to go the conventional route, but the loan would still be in your names and you'll need to pay a title company a second time post-closing to do this  for you. 3) I can't speak for the area so no comment there4) If you're self managing, make sure you find vendors you can trust in the area since you won't be able to easily verify if an HVAC guy, plumber, etc. is trying to rip you off and tell you to buy something you don't actually need. 5) Make sure you have clear alignment of goals and a clear operating agreement that spells out what to do if those goals start to not align in the future since you'll be jointly obligated to these properties. 

both have 5yr pre pay penalty. 

Seller was behind on pay HOA payments and in risk for losing the property.

At full occupancy, the cash flow I just keep in reserves for repairs or help pay the principal. 

If you have a buyer's agent, you should have already signed a buyer's representation agreement and that fee/commission is disclosed in that document so you should very well know what that charge will be.If you were the seller and going to owner finance the property, what would you want to see from the buyer that tells you that they will be able to pay the mortgage moving forward. 

Personally I wouldn't feel comfortable trying to wholesale a relatives $1M home knowing that I am breaking the law if I cross over into doing anything that can be considered representing them in the transaction, and knowing it will only be marketed to people who buy properties wholesale (typically investors who don't want to pay retail prices), instead of the majority of retail buyers active in the market who are typcially willing to pay more. 

You want an investment that pays for itself, including mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, and even some money set aside for a reserve to cover vacancies and capital expenditures.

It may sound nice to pay a 6% management fee but the extra fees can add up to be more than the other company that charges 10% with no additional fees.

All the add-ons are a la carte so you can definitely get a lot of value based on what you need.One thing I personally don't like is that when tenants pay rent, they are charged $1 per transaction for ACH use.