Which only highlights my point: price-shopping for an accountant is not necessarily as rewarding as price-shopping for a new TV.Here's a much more detailed answer: https://www.biggerpockets.com/...

I do not want to find out I overpaid and end up with the headaches too with none of the rewards. 

Put down why a person is investing in REI.The more I have been on BP, I have learned and enjoyed the many different types of REI investments, strategy, risk/reward, different starting points, backgrounds, etc.On a continuum I see REI as follows:Syndication Investor- puts money down, knows very little about REI and won't learn much about REI from their investment.

@Andrew FrishmanLast one I did. 40 Carmel rd Buffalo NY 14214 2 unit purchase nov 2018Purchase price 219,000 with 2% in Sc Down payment borrowed from my heloc at 6%43800Mortgage5/5 arm 30 year amortization 3.875 interest Rehab 16800 put on Marriot rewards credit card and because of military orders it’s 1 year at 4% interest.

There's too much social assistance in my opinion - and the mainstream rewards bad decision making consistently.

Risks can be higher and so can reward if one accounts for the forced appreciation and appreciating markets.  

We took a risk given the potential reward of the business and have been living off of our savings and IRA.

Their risk reward tradeoffonly then can an evaluation of direct investing hope to provide a definitive answerso despite the hype, promises, YouTube videos, social media propaganda, etc, active real estate investing should NOT be pursued by most people.  

And you should be rewarded for that by a very low price. 

Everyone else can get slightly worse terms, but reward the first mover...