@Marcus Stokes Starting your first fix-and-flip can be exciting but requires careful planning.

I have read the book on long distance investing and still am not too confident to get started.

Please be careful with your posts.

You can stack your personal 50%s up for separate ventures while still knocking out deals without your own capital2) Read Raising Private Capital by Matt Faircloth3) One LLC with the S Corp designation to pay yourself a reasonable salary from the flip profits.

It doesn't hurt if you don't care if you get the property or not.

No one will care more about your success then you.

From what I remember, and what I'm reading online right now, electric heat can cost 3x as much as natural gas.

I have been reading many books on finances, rentals, and real estate and feel this is an area I can have more "control" over my investment rather than placing it all in my 401k and hoping for the best. 

If something breaks they are going to get it fixed - but you want to be careful about who they call.

When I purchased my property, I had read all the exciting developments in the works...indoor waterpark, shops, new hotels, restaurants, etc., but was severely disappointed when I went recently with my family.