This has been a mixed bag, but probably a bit more on the positive side, considering vacancies are expensive.  

It immediately seemed like my cup of tea with many like-minded people, so here I am!

For instance, they charge 35k for a kitchen remodel that would normally be 15k.I understand that 203k loans can be a mixed bag, but does anyone have any insight they can share on the contractor bidding process? 

It was one of the primary drivers of the crash because people got into properties they weren't qualified for and didn't have equity and were left holding the bag when the market shifted.  

@Talley Haines 6th grade explanation:You buy a bag of candy (rental property) but your parents (the IRS) won't let you eat (depreciate) the entire bag (total basis of the rental property) at one time.

not to be a Debbie downer on the banks financing this for you.. but its just not their bag.. 

Market here is a mixed-bag, but positive to steady overall.

When a home is 18 months behind on payments, a lease option would not be the first tool I pulled out of my bag.

Well, I've come back to real estate but in a different arena - buying and selling paper (Seller Financing Carry Backs and NPN/REO bulk transactions)I am green, yet ripening like a piece of fruit in a paper bag overnight.

Do you just go up to random people and tell them you need a bag of cash??