If failure is so common, why is it that I only encounter this fact in my third month of fact finding.

I totally agree that RE is a local market, but ours is limited and expensiveI will probably start with our country to gain experience, but in our case I don't think it is a good idea to stay in local market@Tom Ott - I didn't encounter turnkey, and I'll start reading about it

@James Kojo- This is one of the biggest challenges you will encounter in the business of buying apartments- getting good financials and the details you need to move forward.  

I think the risks across the board and the caliber of professionals you are likely to encounter would go up a good deal if you look at $100k+ properties ... that is not to say there are NO good professional agents etc. working in $30k properties, just that the incentives are not there and I'd bet the good ones are working more exclusively with huge investors in high volume.It doesn't make sense that the buyer's agent would help you much, though, because the buyer's agent would have to deal with all the same lazy listing agents anyhow, just as you would going directly to them ... but hey, if it works, go for it. 

We've encountered similar situations.

Only 1 has pulled the trigger in a purchase, and most (even those I don't work with) that I have encountered want something for nothing.

Of the BK13 plans I've encountered this is yet again a different one.

It also may help to have a parent on board to make sure you don't encounter any weirdos during your search.  

Remember, there is NO property management requirement for an FHA multifamily loan, so if you encounter difficulties, there is an alternative.  

What difficulties could a newbie encounter while trying to invest in a distant market?