I figure there has to be a reliable way to use all this equity as a launchpad for my real estate investing journey.

I am an out-of-state investor and as most of you know, its important to find a reliable contractor to succeed when doing out-of-state investing and to build my investing team 

The most reliable way of doing that short of an appraisl is to have any agent that can run comps for you.

We were aiming at doing in a live in and flip on this propertyHer offer was 12k above list price as there were multiple offers, our offer was acceptedWhen we viewed the property the home was winterized, and there was no power of water on.We really like the location, and planned on doing full remodel as the condo had a lot off potential.The utilities were turned on for inspectionWe just had inspections done and the HVAC unit was not working/cooling down the space, there were a lot of smaller items but the HVAC issues warranted further investigationWe then proceeded to get HVAC contractor specialist for further inspection and they said it could be repaired but since this unit was 2005 unit is is highly recommended to get a brand new unit as the reliability of the old unit and the repair is not guaranteed We have now decided that we would like to back out the deal while still in time period for inspection contingency, especially since we are offering 12k above list price, the new HVAC unit could cost in this range or aboveWhat's your thoughts on our decision, our understanding is that seller(bank) will not negotiate due to bought "as is" What are chance that they would accept a different offer?

Do they have their lives together, or do they have substance abuse problems, reliable transportation, does their phone get shut off at random because they can't/don't pay their bills, etc. 

Having a good cleaning company and a reliable handyman is key and you are good to go.  

I'm looking for profitable areas in which to invest in rental properties.It would be very helpful if you could advise me on whether reliable sources of data exist to determine how much the rental yield is in each city (on an annual basis).If you have any recommendations on where to invest, I'd appreciate hearing them.Thanks,Amit

Is there a reliable source / website to find cap rates for apartment buildings by region (e.g. county, city, town) for each state?

As you know, at the end of the day you are running a hotel and from my experience you need a whole team of reliable and affordable referrals.

only THEY know when they are mnotivated and they will take it upon themselves to get their house sold and they WILL go to Google to find that solution and you need to be found.Website, Crediblitly, Rank #1.Sorry to say.. that is the only way to reliably get motivated sellers.