If you're looking for books to read, BP has several blog posts on books.

Creative FinancingLow equity deals -Sub2, lease options, wrap around mortgagesSee my BP Blog

There are several different ways to go about this and a ton of great posts, member blogs, BP blogs, BP podcast, books which cover this topic in great detail so I will just provide you a few terms to search and you will find all the information you could ever want right here on BP.1)  Wholesaler - You are right if you could find a great wholesaler this could provide you a steady stream of properties which could be a good input into a fix/flip model.2)  Motivated Sellers -  If you want to dive in you can start looking for the motivated sellers yourself but this is not a easy endeavor.  

I am NOT an accountant, but I did find this article by one EXTREMELY helpful.It both explains the over-arching principals, and goes line-by-line down the HUD-1, specifically identifying whether the expense is a current expense (typically interest, insurance, property taxes), added to loan costs (e.g., points) , adjustment to cost basis (e.g., title, recording.), or neither (typically deposits/advances).

I would start by typing it into the search box and you will get a lot of articles and forum posts.

The answer is that it depends on a few factors:Type of loanHow long you've held the loanIf you've paid on timeHere are some good articles from The Mortgage Professor on this topic:Cancelling Private Mortgage Insurance (1)Cancelling Private Mortgage Insurance (2)This article contains the procedure for putting in a "qualified written request" with your servicer so you're not getting the run-around with people over the phone:Is There Recourse Against Bad Mortgage Servicing?

They are both great at learning the fundamentals.Also - here's a couple articles you might enjoy:The 21 Best Real Estate Investing Books EverHow to Start Investing In Real Estate at a Young AgeOh - and if you haven't yet- be sure to setup some "Keyword Alerts."

Ben Leybovich has a pretty good article on it here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2014/07/08/irr-use/

It is kinda funny how long I spent thinking one day I'd read enough free blog articles or $20 books that would finally make me a real estate millionaire.  

They are both great at learning the fundamentals.Also - here's a couple articles you might enjoy:The 21 Best Real Estate Investing Books Ever How to Rent Your House: The Definitive Step by Step GuideHow to Be a Landlord: Ten Tips for SuccessOh - and if you haven't yet- be sure to setup some "Keyword Alerts."