I haven't found any that are terribly reliable and/or interested in working with investors

@Meghan Macur, I agree with @Steve Smith ie. those returns are TERRIBLE (though he didn't put it quite like that).

We are presently negotiation on such a property where the (terrible) mortgage loan was sold to a pension fund. 

And I can't add him as a guarantor because of his terrible credit.

I hire out terribly laborious jobs these days, even though I can build/do/repair everything on a house myself. 

I was also a terrible landlord/investor before BP; I probably would have experienced 2-3 months vacancy if this scenario happened a year ago.

Making tenant screening subjective is a terrible idea."

Dropping off your cat to take care of vermin seems like a terrible way to handle a pest problem.  

I know the timing is terrible 9 days before the deadline but if anyone has any recommendations for someone in the Des Moines area thats knowledgeable about taxes for real estate investors I'd love to hear them.

I have had good assets and terrible assets.