So to say money for not much work shows you’re ignorant to what it takes to be an agent. 3% tops You can totally put your property up for sale on a FSBO site or use a flat-fee MLS listing service and manage the sales process yourself.

Builder ends up screwing us over and we are out $250k which we are in the process of trying to get back.In the meantime, I'm trying to get a private or hard money loan to finish the buildsCurrent mortgage 273,000Rehab 1 - 150,000Rehab 2 - 150,000Current value for both places approx $350,000ARV $1,000,000 for bothPlan is to refinance and hold as STRI feel that these numbers are reasonable - am I missing something?

She specializes in what you seem to be after: buying up stable businesses for cheap, improving them, cashflowing and then repeating the process to keep expanding. 

Which has allowed me to save and begin the process of purchasing my very first investment property.

Right now we are in the process of acquiring land to build a childcare center with a duplex on the property as a rental.  

In regards to the problem of specifically finding a deal, I developed a platform with the aim of easing the property-finding process for single family properties on the MLS.

@Ed O. ...sorry for the delay, but yes regarding the reservation process (if you haven't already solved) - this might not apply in your case or state, but in our case because we were putting in infrastructure (new road) and had over 14 lots, our state law forces us to act like a new subdivision in terms of State Attorney General office registration, which is a real pain, but supposedly is for consumer protection.

Chicago has far better investment opportunities and it makes sense to keep building on the processes that work, if they are working...

They make sure the tenant doesn't fall behind, and if they do, they start the process of removing the tenant.

Markets closer to where you live tend to be easier to get started with as you might be able to learn the processes of managing a short term rental.