Outside of purchase price and front-end realtor commissions, what other costs should I build into my formula to ensure a profitable investment.

I would research everything you can on this forum, go to the library and learn everything you can about creative real estate investing.

My main objective is just to ensure that the buyer is serious.

You can find a good promissory note online, then just have the seller sign the note and take it in to put a lien on the property that way you will ensure that the title company sends you a check.

One creative way I have heard of recently is to look up absentee owners/landlords that have recently purchased property.

If you're working with pictures/photos, you could run into this problem later when you start getting creative.

I wanted to get some conversation going about the "4 Loan" rule that the lenders are sticking with at the moment.Keep in mind that I am talking about direct lenders/mortgage brokers, not hard money or other more creative owner financing in this topic.

That is a very good idea Thomas, with the weather being unpredictable, you cannot always ensure that the flyers are in good condition.Pasting it to a window or patio door, is a great way to make the stats available to the visitors.

There are some incredible opportunities if we can be creative, patient, and stay smart!

The most important part is to ensure that you have "realistic" exit strategies.