Always do the math analysis on prospect properties and try to look at the subject property before you make  an offer or at least have a clause in the sales contract that gives you some time (usually about 15 days) to make an inspection and possibly back out of the deal without a penalty that hurts you.I also went to college, not that it is mandatory, and I got a business degree that emphasized real estate.  

Personally, I would want to meet both prospects and have them sign in my presence.  

That gives prospective investors a real life example of what we do, along with real life results. 

Think about the prospect of having $450 cash flow from two houses rather than $900 from one house.  

I have just got married and it changed my prospective on personal finances.

Start Making Offers - It may take some time looking at plenty of houses and working with sellers who are not motivated enough to accept and offer that makes sense from us as an investment standpoint  but dont be deterred.

. , get a rough ARV, do a quick title search etc.For me as a landlord, I can google my prospective tenants , check court records quickly, double check their application information etc. 

As for your question, and this is my opinion and should NOT be taken as the only correct answer, having a deal means anything from a prospective property to having one under contract.

If there are any current or prospective Mack clients with a different opinion and you are interested in adding a new home to your portfolio (currently rented), contact me!

During the phone interviews with the prospective handymen, I asked for their experience with rental property and collected reference contact information.