IMHO be buy from "Mom and Pop" investors not the guy or gal who has purchased 500 houses during their career so I dont want to waste marketing dollars on the high mostly unreachable fruit.

I agree with Michael that your lower hanging fruit is working your COI (circle of influence), but if you have that base covered, and you're doing marketing, etc. don't just sit around waiting for a miracle to happen like so many do.  

After spending five months on the upper unit, I managed to get my first renter at $700 per month and had my monthly nut covered.

Its a question to get rid of fantasy land sellers and unmotivated sellers as fast as possible without ruining the fruit for a later call. 

She is not really interested in the nuts and bolts of it, but she is interested in the final outcome.

I've been pretty vocal about the fact that -- while there is nothing wrong with paying for a coach -- there are other, less costly avenues that can be just as, or more, fruitful for budding investors.I've mentored a few other up-and-coming investors in the past (75% success ratio), but with the new family, I haven't had much time the past year or two.

I had hoped to start with what I thought was the low hanging fruit of absentee owners.

Sometimes the most fruitful campaigns are the one's you spend the least amount of money on but the most amount of time.

Bill- absolutely 17% would be nuts.

If I can't I will say so.. no charge :)teaching the nuts and bolts of a certain transaction and  Closing skills are two distinct diciplines..