If you plan to look locally and are having issues finding someone who is putting themselves out there as a real estate person, look for a firm who does a high volume of business tax returns - likely they also have very high exposure to real estate issues. 

Exposure reduces anxiety and nervousness.

Its a great way to see the "inside" of a deal without much exposure.  

Also, many times people don't have that much money on hand to invest in such a huge rehab project, so depending on how long it has been on the market (if had enough exposure) - you might, or might not want to pursue it, unless you make an offer in the range that would make your numbers work for you... 

I often break it down into the "five pillars" of protecting your assets.1st pillar is avoiding unnecessary and risky activities (don't drink and drive, insurance generally won’t cover your poor decisions) and take good care of your investments - these simple steps will help you prevent lawsuits before they even occur.2nd pillar is a good insurance policy as that cover the majority of your exposure.

A solid resource to check out is MHPIRL (Mobile Home Parks In Real Life) podcast if you have had 0 exposure to the business.

With a SFD, you have more risk exposure by driving you car!

My family dabbled in it, nothing serious, but it was an early exposure that made me want to get into it "someday".  

William - I have learned with my brief exposure on BP that networking with realtors is essential. 

A lot of banks limit their lines of credit to 350-400k per social or a specific amount of financed properties to limit their risk exposure so it will be hard to reaccess those funds from the free and clear properties in an emergency assuming you are able to maintain sufficient credit and reported income through out the emergency as well.