Everyone thinks they can become a millionaire fast, and skip all the discipline aspects of it.   

Check county recordsUse online search tools like PropStream, Reonomy, PropertyShark, etc.Use local GIS mapping tools (ask your county)Search online directories for LLC or TrustTalk to neighborsHire a skip tracerSend a letter to the propertyThere are a lot of options.

Learn the lawsDon't use a contract "off the internet", laws vary by state and are also regulated on a federal level Learn the financing techniques correctlyDon’t skip parts of the processDon’t ever do a “kitchen table” closingUse the proper deedAn attorney can help you with the legal work, but the rest you are on your ownYour guru will not bail you out“Investing” in someone else’s deal by providing a small 2nd loan so the “investor” can pay for “cash to the seller” and for “closing costs” so he can do the deal is a very bad planKnow what problems can ariseLearn the responses and solutions to problems before they are needed Know everything there is to know about Title and what that meansKnow who a "protected class" individual isLearn the "back doors"Learn human natureUnderstand timelinesUnderstand regulation enforcement (some of these "mistakes" have a 10 year statue of limitations ( they can charge you 10 years AFTER you do the transaction) and carry hefty fines and possible imprisonmentThe court doesn't accept "I didn't know" for an answer"Know that the source of the lead plays a serious role in some states and federallyKnow how much of a "profit" pushes the boundaries to invite an investigationYou can be sued by the seller if you don’t do things correctlyYou are automatically at fault if an investigator or attorney or regulator gets involved.

I would skip all of the agents and go direct.

This is assuming that you're not even talking to the listing agent initially (skipping them) and going directly to the owner as the buyer.Thoughts?

Tenants ended up demanding concessions or just plain skipped out of their lease and disappeared.Also, unbeknownst to us, the former owner tried poaching all of the month to month tenants to their building across the street.

and usually take the state test to get the license and skip the federal part of the test ..

Kudos to him for doing it, but his rules and his dogmatic approach is also the same thing that made Open Door Capital a horrible venture because they skip over being pragmatic.

If you want to put less than 20% down skip the seller financing and move in to the property.

Skip trace the LLC and start a marketing campaign.