They also could just be extremely amateur, which they are, but don't have bad intentions.Either way I'm definitely not sending money directly to their bank account and will definitely have them fill in the basic info of the contract.

If I’m looking to purchase a property that needs a significant amount of work, (1) how do I, an amateur, even identify what needs work?

In my experience with hundreds of Landlords and from what I've read on this forum in the past 12 years or so, the vast majority of amateur Landlords think they're saving money but they're actually losing money.You have to honestly, objectively assess your skills and your goals and see what works best for you.

"Joe Bob's rental house".Cons for LLCs: Amateurs set them up easily enough but then don't invest the time and effort learning to run them properly, making them easier for an attorney to convince a judge to "pierce the veil" and hold owners liable. 

The attorney would have to show that it was negligence on their part, which is probably unlikely (in my not-an-attorney amateur opinion) because moving furniture in an occupied home is beyond the scope of a normal inspection (and there are many other contingencies that can cover the inspector).The termite inspector would be the most likely to be at fault here, but there again it would probably come down to whether or not the locations of the termite damage where "outside the scope" of the inspection in light of the occupants.My idea for a viable strategy that would save you MONTHS AND MONTHS of frustration (i.e. the legal process) is to have a termite company assess the home and work up a quote for the total remediation. 

I am an amateur investor and currently using as many resources that I have available to learn as much as I can, as fast as I can.

Looking for a mentor in OKC area to learn about the business, discover how I can add value to the community of investors, and understand what my next steps are as an amateur investor.Currently finishing up my first rental home.

Amateurs and now they aren't answering me when I ask for reimbursement of fees that I paid when they told me for 2 months I would close and they will get it done.

The auctions are full of amateurs from "flipping" seminars who bid properties up beyond retail leaving no room for profit after rehab costs.And banks are bidding crazy prices too since their bids only cost them a small fee to the clerk of the court.

The fact that they required it, makes them seem like an amateur operation (at best).You implied that they were using your own credit history to procure the loan rather than that of the sponsor...which is a huge red flag if true.