The property characteristics, price & location drive my decision more so than 'picking first' the strategy, then finding.  

Last tip, don't strictly base your decision on price either.

If you're looking to just make one decision now, and never think about it again for 20 years, real estate is probably not what you're looking for.

Working with your spouse is AKA "Marriage Building 101" you must BOTH, know exactly who is primarily responsible for what, who is the decision maker for what, and who will be held accountable for what. 

To make the most knowledgeable investment decision practice what is taught in the Toyota Way - genchi genbutsu, which means "go and see."

Ok great, much luck to you, the ultimate decision sits with the lender, the seller normally wants out and is prepared to accept an offer, the question is if her lender is accepting to the final conditions and terms.

Thanks Alex, we just made a decision to bail as my partner who is a contractor examined the property closely and it looks like the foundation may have issues he said rehab repairs are more in the 100k-120k range.

Could be good advice, but there's a lot more to consider when making such a decision, obviously.So is this anti-real estate mentality a result of lack of understanding, or seeing other clients' lack of success in REI?

The most daunting aspects so far have been how exactly to go about finding these elusive deals, and understanding the financial side in a way to make an informed decision.

Lois, While this is your business decision I would caution you in buying a workers compensation policy to cover contractors without workers compensation insurance.