BP is a great place to start and there's tons of free info here, but I also suggest investing in some real education, taught by someone you know you can trust.

@Cary G NicholsonOn the education tab of this website, you'll find a Guides link.

going to try to educate myself about Milwaukee as for some reason i like it more than Cleveland (too oversaturated)

I am on a quest to educate myself in real estate within NorCal.  

You definitely don't want a situation where someone gets hurt by traps or poison that you place.If it is more related to the tenants being pigs than a hole on the outside then it may require some education on how to keep things clean and charging them for pest control if local law allows it etc.

There are a few pros to getting your license including but not limited to:Access to the MLSBeing able to see properties quickly, without needing your agent to tag alongSaving half the commission on the sell side of your dealBut there is the additional costs of continuing education and splits or fees you may pay to hang your license with a brokerage.

Over the past year I have done a bit of research and educating myself and am now ready to move on.

But untimely it is your job to figure out what you want.I try not to tell people what to do, but provide some feedback to let them make a more educated decision.

I'm not saying I don't think you can't achieve those rents, because it obviously depends on the finishes, but I would just recommend focusing on the big picture stuff on a deal before nit picking every maintenance details because honestly it's an educated guess either way.

When it comes to negotiating directly with the seller you have to try your best to be educated and not have an offer come across as “disrespectful” that being said there may have to be a lot of dialogue about the property before you throw out an offer $140K below market.