The IRS is going to evaluate each deal on its own merits to determine if your intent was to flip or rent.

Samantha - I have no intentions on showing the houses myself.

I recently obtained my RE salesperson license with the intention of helping my parents grow their portfolio and purchasing my first property.

Like Page Huyette and James Vermillion said, a Lease Option Assignment, done correctly can get you a nice assignment gee.Ex) $100K compsRent $80024 month termYou lease option from seller with intent to assign for a feeYou then market for tenant buyerThen assign the deal for say 3-5%.See http://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/3/blog_posts/5083-why-i-love-lease-option-assignments-rather-than-sandwich-lease-optionsHope that helps!

Intentionally going for the aged look from the beginning.Best of luck to you in whatever you decide.

oh i realized after i posted and read it this morning that i left out one important point in my last post.the plans you make before you actually have a clue - are just plain silly.mine were so silly, that everytime i think about them or find an old piece of paper with "plans" on them from about 8 months ago or so, i want to slap myself.when i started out - my intentions were so over-the-top and grandiose in scheme, that at some point, i had to just say :protest: i had to sloooowwww down - focus on information.

My intentions was not to hurt anyone.

If you are going to be an investor and/or work with investors, you need to learn how to think like one.It isn't my intent to come across as a jerk.  

Is the letter of intent something entirely different from the lease and option to purchase?

Like contractors, sometimes investors also flake or promise contractors this and that, but have clear intentions of not paying them.