I met with Wicked Smart today and was told they help you set up a lead sourcing system, help you structure creative financing - which is essentially lease option/purchase, subject to and owner financing....all strategies I am interested in learning more about.

If you are in the Tampa area and plan on purchasing there, I highly suggest you connect with @Josh Green.

There are some HOA's that are in such bad shape they wont allow any type of loans and it must be a cash purchase.

Too many newbies seem to think they can blindly follow "old" advice in today's real estate market and be successful.Many, basically get taken advantage of by those in the industry that have an incentive to keep newbies blind to new realties, just to keep their good times rolling.What many newbies have figured out is that they can't make the numbers work on rental purchases in their states - like California, Arizona, New York, New Jersey, Washington, etc.What they have NOT figured out is that if they go to cheaper markets, they aren't being shown Class A rentals to buy.

I take a percent off of total top line (including cleaning fees) that is 5-10% less than what a local "hands on" operator would charge.

You can also offer to lease with an option to buy to tie up the property until you are ready to purchase. 

Although the list may seem intensive, I look at it like this: The total cost of all these items can be much lower than the cost to repair a hidden surprise after purchasing a property to flip. 

Purchase price: $2,400,000 Sold a single-family home and did a 1031-exchange into a 5-unit building at a cheaper price.

., Purchase Price: $475,000 ($197.9/sq. ft.).Estimated Market Value: $402,000 ($168/sq. ft.).Financing Terms: 2% interest rate, with a 9-year balloon.Unit B Income: $2,049/month (Section 8 tenant through November 2025).Unit A Income Potential: Similar rent or higher; Section 8 cap for the area is $3,234/month.Monthly Loan Payment (P+I): $1,386.Cash Flow Breakdown (if both units are rented at $2,049/month):Gross Rent: $4,098/month.Vacancy (10%): $410/month.Operating Expenses (37.3%): $1,376/month.Net Cash Flow: $943/month.Key QuestionsWould you be comfortable paying an 18% premium for financing at 2%, especially in a market where current mortgage rates are closer to 7%?

Tip #1 - no such thing as one perfect market There is lots of data on Bigger Pockets and MTR experts that have released rankings of top cities for next year, but remember it's not just about the purchase-- it's also about the operation.