Otherwise, it is nearly impossible to intelligently hire and manage your PM.

I know basics of investing from reading books like "Intelligent Investor" etc and also know a bit of real estate with experience of buying and selling my primary residence. 

The prices were artificially driven up and people that had no clue what they were doing, people that had no business owning a house, and shill buyers created high prices.War zones are not for flipping, they're for experienced investors that know the ropes.

You know the answer from Fannie, so if you are told anything more restrictive than that, then boom you've just discovered the presence of REI-unfriendly overlays that will artificially limit your capacity to obtain financing when using that lender - basically, these overlays generally have the net effect of limiting you to one property per two or three years unless you are incredibly high income from your day-job. 

It was very informative and I met some motivated and intelligent people.

Any buyer's agent that tells you this, and insults your intelligence - is actually the most unethical of them all.I'll tell you the answers you're gonna hear...and the translation.All agents: Yes, you need an agent. 

You're an intelligent individual.

I’m looking at larger multi family rentals as an education piece and I’d like to be able to look at them intelligently.

You all really need to use your own logic common sense and intelligence if you have any chance to making it in this space.

It depends on the neighborhood and the artificial barriers.