I think that having a partner you trust in a particular area can dramatically improve your performance, especially if you are not living there or don't even have the chance to see the area.I also think that it is very important before you find a partner to experience real estate on your own, so that you have a good knowledge of what investing means.

It's hard finding deals on the MLS these days, and relying on a single agent for deal flow dramatically reduces your likelihood of success.    

Broker:  Joe, This property is structurally superior to the comparables and has energy efficiencies that dramatically reduce expenses. 

I'm not understanding where future expenses are considered that will dramatically eat away all the cash flow.

One person I can think of who applies it religiously does very few deals per year, but in so doing dramatically reduces his risk on each deal.  

I see your points.One of the things you might be running into is that the IRS's budget was slashed dramatically after the whole Tea Party/Non Profit debacle a few years back.  

It's our experience that, while it makes your net worth look good on paper, the first 25% equity in property is pretty much invested for the long haul, either until the property value increases dramatically or until the tenants pay down the mortgage enough to make it worth the cost of the loan to get your money back out.     

Hey guys, I want to hear stories from some vets whom have been in in a situation where the cost of a renovation for a rental has dramatically exceeded the budget.I started renovating one of my rentals and I am about 20k over what I allotted and essentially put all of that on credit.  

Your assertion that 99%+ of Agents are unethical is unfounded and a bit dramatic.  

Particularly on the Maryland side of the border, the state of Maryland no longer allows agents to be involved in the negotiation process with the bank....this has dramatically increased the degree of difficulty in getting a short sale through.