@Peter T.For construction managment, the 20% is only if they want us to do it all meaning procure all materials, gather all of the bids and manage the entire project on-site as well.

They can support you with back end materials, marketing strategies, trainings, etc. but it is up to you to procure the business and whatever they can add is a bonus. 

It sometimes requires procuring a couple bids which can take a week or more.

My listing agent, who i would sell with after I flip, is saying that I may still owe the listing agent commission given that he may have been the “procurement cause.”

You don't need a full-service property manager, just someone to help procure a tenant for you.

Also, you usually cannot use debt to procure further debt. 

Real estate broker'', hereinafter referred to as broker, any person who for another person and for a fee, commission or other valuable consideration, or with the intention or in the expectation or upon the promise of receiving or collecting a fee, commission or other valuable consideration, does any of the following: sells, exchanges, purchases, rents or leases, or negotiates, or offers, attempts or agrees to negotiate the sale, exchange, purchase, rental or leasing of any real estate, or lists or offers, attempts or agrees to list any real estate, or buys or offers to buy, sells or offers to sell or otherwise deals in options on real estate, or advertises or holds himself out as engaged in the business of selling, exchanging, purchasing, renting or leasing real estate, or assists or directs in the procuring of prospects or the negotiation or completion of any agreement or transaction which results or is intended to result in the sale, exchange, purchase, leasing or renting of any real estate.This really couldn't be any more clear. 

That doesn't make the agent the 'procuring cause' of your interest in buying as you stated that came first but... as an agent, if I was screwing up by not staying in touch properly even if I didn't the answers yet, I'd appreciate a heads up that you need to hear back asap.Send. text and/or email if you don't like calling, we all appreciate a good "hey stupid!"

Once you do decide to procure your first rental, definitely lean on the BiggerPockets community as a resource; I'll also say that it could be worth considering a shot at a software solution built for DIY landlords (1 - 15 units) to bring some automation to the rental management process (just to make things much much easier for you)!

Originally posted by @Amy Wan:I'll add one:--Not properly structuring the deal (and disclosing all the ins and outs of the structure)--Bringing in bad business partners/co-sponsors or bad investorsback in the 80s I did site procurement for a large syndicator.. and when you talk about bad investors.. this is very true they had some issues with tax reform and then the market cooling in 1989.. one investor basically went bonkers and long of the short of it.. between him and his attorney torpedo'd numerous projects that could have been saved..