You simply tell the agent you're not spending a dime more.If you look at a 100K property, you're qualified.

One principle I've learned here is to buy with the idea that my property won't appreciate one dime. 

Now, he's making money on the government's dime.

I just don't like being nickeled and dime to death  I wish I was where you were at  in you REI portfolio  and  business where money is no object.   

Brokers are a dime a dozen, the key is finding a knowledgable and expereinced one, same goes for the rest of your team mebers.Welcome to BP by the way.Could you post more details of which type of investing you would like to do?

Quote from @Mario Fernandez: if I have a vacancy and my out of state asset turns into a temporary liability while maintaining my current California living expensesIf you calculate cashflow properly, it includes setting a certain amount aside to cover vacancies, maintenance, etc.My recommendation is that you don't spend your last dime on an investment.

If the landlord nickle and dimes the tenant for every little charge or is slow or ignores repair issues then the tenant is going to have a negative impression of the landlord.

@Wade SuhrWade, you are 100 times better off paying for the management and making zero than making a thin dime if you do it for free, especially with zero experience.

If you've got your contractors in a row this should be a reasonably fast repair, and if the tenant objects to cooking in a microwave in the living room for a week while you get repairs done then he should consider renting his own hotel room on his own dime.

So if broke even or lost money, I did a lot of work and did not make a dime.