You are wasting time dealing with nickels and dimes when you should be concentrating on the dollars.  

will concentrate on the deal findingthanksPauline

I personally concentrate my investment efforts in the Columbus area and my team and I have a network of property managers, general contractors, and lenders etc. that I strongly recommend.

You might also want to consider concentrating on ownership in just a few towns to cut down on all your management headaches, not just lawn care

One full of clauses and requirements that will ensure your tenant tows the line and doesn't damage your property....then start concentrate on getting applicants.

Choose a location based on factors including:Rents increased faster than inflation.State and city populations increasing.Metro population > 1M.Low crime.Low operating costs.Tenant SegmentAfter selecting a location, choose a tenant segment with a high concentration of reliable tenants (by interviewing multiple local property managers).

If you concentrate on Income generation which would be one concern you might have then I would research what similar units in your area are renting for.

Do you go in with a long list of potential properties, or do you only have a few that you concentrate on and hope they don't get stayed or continued?

I don't have enough info to pass judgment on the mentor, but the suggestion to concentrate on newer houses with less maintenance is counter to most of the logic around REI - newer houses may have less equity, and without a distressed condition, there is less justification for offering a heavily discounted price for the property.

Michael, As you look to scale your portfolio, some things to consider/look out for financing wise from a scalability perspective are the following:- Concentration Limits --> not sure if you're currently going conventional or intend to in the future, or if you qualify, but conventional lenders following agency guidelines have an absolute maximum of 10 rental properties.