With that said mind giving a newbie hints on the hottest areas in Saint Louis?

Very Bill Gulley like.... if your having problems with daisy chains.. ( me personally if I get a hint of a daisy chain last time I ever interact with that person).There are no ethics in wholesaling and no rules... for me if I wanted a property and you think its being shopped by numerous people licensed or not..

Having clarity of purpose will help in your next steps (like what type of property to buy, etc).I detected hints of both here--listening to BP is very investor centered but extending out the living arrangements with your college friends is alluring but not a real business plan.

At that time I subtly asked if he'd be willing to sell the home.

(Hint: your Lender's appraisal matters).Anyway, others seem to have set you straight.

Hint: Add an extra hour on each side, so as not to lock folks out for being a few minutes early or late.I use these in my vacation rental and long term rental units.

HINT: make sure your realtor is an investor, because we're a very different customer than an end users.

I will give you a hint. 

Our political clan, the fabled Bored of Stupidvisors, only seek to further constrain housing supplies and demand that only 100% affordable housing gets built (hint: unless SF gov plans to pay for that, at the tune of $500k per unit minimum cost, it's wishful thinking.)And if you wish to entertain yourself with SF-logic-housing, I highly recommend this blog post and comments section.

If you drive around all over your area and there is very little new construction (like around here), then that's a pretty strong hint its not profitable.