Relationships Matter More Than EverHaving everything in-house has also helped us build strong relationships with agents, contractors, and clients.

Focus on saving and researching financing while networking with real estate professionals to prepare for your first investment.Dont forget to add tax savings to your ROI for better decision making.This post does not create a CPA-Client relationship.

Most likely one of two issues. (1) You don't have an investment grade deal; or (2) you don't have the relationships yet to assign a contract. 

Point is the above comments there are many other more effective ways to meet the FINCEN stated objectives for tax evasion, money laundering and terrorism.   

It’s a bit intimidating since it’s outside my usual scope of business, but I’m committed to taking the time to learn how to be an effective landlord.

It's all about building relationships, trust and have a long-term mindset. 

The PMS around here are pretty terrible, I've worked with a lot of the larger ones in Cleveland and I think they just take on more properties than they can effectively handle and don't hire enough additional employees to make it work. 

It's all about building trust and relationships, and in the long run, that will pay off way more than just trying to squezze a specific deal.

Then connect with some hard money lenders (you can find some here on BP as well as some who are typing this right now) and connect with them to understand their product type, what they like to lend on and requirements.Hard money broker is all numbers game of making relationships and helping those that are looking for financing, it starts out slow but if you get with a few good borrowers and lenders it can be pretty decent money to be made.As an example we paid six figures last year to HM brokers. 

Private lending, if done effectively could give a beginner the contacts, experience and market insight to be ready for the right value add buy and hold.