Your problem likely lies with C class and not the broad market.

I was recently "retired" by my company after an acquisition and decided to go full time as a technology consultant, helping businesses with their cloud/voice/data/telecom needs -- along with my desire to be a real estate investor. 

The numbers don't lie.

Article: Why Lying on Your Mortgage Application Just Isn’t Worth the Risk

An agent that knows where opportunity Lies and isn’t afraid to bring it up.

I've run into a couple issues with current handymen--caught one in a lie (said he did something and he did not) and another case where they basically didn't want to fix something.

I hate to pay, but at the same time my time is worth something and all the time I spend screening unqualified people is worth something, plus the time and gas to drive to show it for sooo many no-shows, or people who lied and are not qualified. but think they can scam into the property. 

My uncertainty about my situation lies in whether or not I should prioritize paying off all my debt before applying for a mortgage. 

And (1) is facility with some technology, with (2) ability in dealing with prople, including in getting results out of employees, & (3) shrewdness in properly dealing with finance & money.

Where the problem lies is that our small county doesn't have the information online( I reached out to the county clerk-recorder) and the kicker, they aren't open in-person anymore because of Covid.