on David Greene's new podcast he's pivoted hard away from this so that's probably a better starting point now.

The PMC I left to start my own PMC had at least 2 "preferred contractors" related to key players in the office so high rates and poor service fell on deaf ears. 

@Cole DobbsIn addition, I may be able to help you and connect you with some key real estate investor players in the Houston, Texas market since I am an Investor myself that have done most of these real estate investing strategies and also an investor-broker who has helped over 400 investors like you. 

The rental had ratty furniture, a record player prominently featured in the marketing but it had no speakers, missing basics items in the kitchen, lots of drunks in the concrete hallways that reverberated right into the bedroom at 2am, a strong odor of urine outside, and more.We have super hosts in this forum that have hundreds of 5-star reviews and are masters of the craft, but I look at their rentals and see they don't have any artwork on the walls, decor is basic, they do nothing to make the guest feel welcome, etc. 

Jay I know you are a player in this space as well - but I am curious to your opinion on finding decent loans to buy.

Most owners are local and therefore “hot” money or out of area players are not yet chasing Pittsburgh assets, keeping prices favorable.References United States Census Bureauhttp://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2017/august/economic-impact-report.htmlMarcus & Millichap 2017 Multifamily Investment Forecast2017 Commercial Real Estate Trends Report by Integra Realty Resourceshttp://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/September-2017/Staying-CMU-All-Eyes-on-Carnegie-Mellons-Future/http://www.nextpittsburgh.com/features/pittsburgh-developments-watch-2017/

Cash invested: $40,000 Sale price: $205,000 Strategic Market Pivot: From Long-Term Rental to High-Yield Fix and FlipThis property was strategically transitioned from a single-family long-term rental (LTR) into a fix-and-flip project after analyzing market trends and identifying a pivot that would yield better long-term returns.

As a senior baseball player looking to eventually play pro ball after this spring semester, I acquired a serious interest in doing real estate as another source of income.

@Karen SmithAs jay mentioned private lending has been around forever and it’s really not on the rise - I think it’s always been a large player in the real estate investment space for short term loans.

Submitting real offers that you feel confident actually closing on and having a strong sponsor to work with that has a track record will go much further towards you winning deals.In short, you can pursue larger deals right out of the gate if you want to, but generally expect that it'll take you longer to win one and make sure you have the right players on your team so that you're prepared to win them and to close them once you do.