Another concern i have is the backyard has a BIG hill which is pretty dangerous to mow and could be a liability, however i could always include lawn care as part of the rent to avoid safety issues.

Hi @Steve Maginnis,  When I first asked my new PM said they don't typically send out the receipts/invoices to owners, so I didn't press the issue yet.

Additionally, negotiating with buyers directly demands a level of expertise and emotional detachment that might be difficult for homeowners with strong connections to their property.

Make sure to reach out to one that is an investor savvy as location is no longer an issue. 

How do you deal with the zoning issue with your clients?

If you can get 10%, thats really nice for 30yr, but you might want your liquidity back sooner or not take a chance on your borrower for that long.The reason to go "creative" is if you have an actual issue.  

The $10k wasn't the issue (though it's a lot of money), it was the now-or-never nature of how I was required to decide, sign their contract, and pay--no trial run, no sample materials of the course--not to mention they have zero mentors physically here in Michigan and don't plan to.I, too, live in the Detroit Metro area so it would be great if you could connect me with your RE agent friend.- Joe   

So, have a strong, transparent system where you don't need to hide anything.Most investors move to syndications as a passive LP and therefore gets away from the liability issues surrounding owning direct ownership in rentals.

FYI we've changed our approach entirely and have lower fee initial entry points to avoid the challenges of long term project based arrangements so we can catch issues much sooner.

I'm having the same issue as you.