I have had my eye on a property that is in disrepair and needs a LOT of work, clean out etc.  

Little did I know the people I thought were looking out for my best interest, would be the ones to paint me a beautiful picture of the perfect paradise, only to later find out they would be sending me right into the eye of the storm.

I'm always looking with an investor's eye.

I certainly hope you didn't consider my caution as bully - - it was meant as an eye opener to legal issues involved and I would not sleep well to learn that you never were informed. 

It's often the case that bettering your situation will create people who are unhappy with your efforts, but hopefully she'll open her eyes to the benefits and opportunities.

A few are at eye level to get a nice view of the entrance hallways.  

The owner's eyes glaze over and they don't screen the applicant very well (or at all) because they don't want to lose the money.

Generally if you are looking to make money quickly then a flip is what you might want to keep your eye out for - however, if your looking for longer term cash flow, then you may want to buy and hold -both have their pros and cons and risks and rewards.

When i first started getting into real estate investing i must confess i was a little starry-eyed at the prospect. 

Have more than one realtor (I usually find 5 in a market and work with all of them until the cream rises).