I used to work for a triathlon event organizer, and we'd rent 2-5 uhauls event weekends for setup, teardown, course water station refills, sign placement and trashout after a race was over.

@David Rhame To get started and having bad credit, you will need money to put into the deal, and find a seller that is motivated and will carry financing for you.What exactly are your strengths, and skills?

My partner is a doing her PhD at UIUC and I work for an applied research organization at the university.

And realize that just as you are trying to evaluate them, their skill, professionalism, attention to detail, organization.

Most regulator or oversight offices have an on line complaint or fraud hot line.Attorneys police their own through the bar association, Realtors through the RE commission and the Board of Realtors, investors aren't organized, but should be, IMO.

Ask if you can assist them for FREE in anyway.Believe me someone will take the bait, there is much to do in RE business:Marketing,networking,taking pics of property,meeting buyers,meeting sellers,organizing/interviewing contractors,getting paper work signed,title companies,attorneys..etcLet them know you are learning the business and would be open to mentorship.

Maybe your past skills will be helpful if an eviction arises.

The owner might accept it or they will counter.While investors and operators often see themselves as wheeler-dealers, killer negotiators that offer almost nothing, skip over the usual and customary as if they have special skills in getting homerun deals, that is probably only the case in their mind.

There are also several organizations with missions to lobby for it to be added federally.

If a property is listed (REO or not), chances are your end buyer has already seen it so you would have to have some sort of remarkable negotiation skills to be able to get it under contract at a price that you could make your fee and the end buyer would getting a deal they would be happy with.