Seems that I have landed myself in a penny wise, pound foolish situation by working with a group of careless corporate zombies at a big company. 

I'm not familiar with Maverick; I have been impressed with (although haven't yet invested through) Norada, which likewise connects investors with turnkey providers in target markets. 

Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish.

The experience reinforced the importance of working with reliable partners like Billy Medlen and focusing on targeted improvements that maximize a property’s appeal and profitability.

It’s a solid option to boost your chances of actually reaching the homeowners you’re targeting.

Don't know if any of those apply to you or not, but good to check with your lender today and get them to run your credit so you know what your targets are. 

I feel like having some good experts helping me clearly identify best practices and targets for success (instead of guessing) to be extremely helpful. 

If you put in an offer at 85% of list price on every decent home on mls in your targeted area, you're going to get a house or two that should only need cosmetic rehab - which you could control the costs better.  

I have a house in my target area coming up for auction in Cleveland. 

Start by analyzing market trends and targeting neighborhoods with strong rental demand.