The average temperature in the United States is 50 degrees, but if you are standing in Death Valley or Gnome, Alaska, what you experience may feel very different.In the handful of MSAs that I monitor, I'm seeing YoY rent changes from (2%) to 8%.

Feels as if it is overloaded with fake wholesalers and noobs who don't know how to calculate rehab and want more than retail for their deals.

I’ve been able to achieve financial freedom and create a better balance between work and personal life.

This sounds real personal, Lashayle Dodson.

My options usually include the all cash/quick close to flip myself, listing it (as an agent) but also offering the seller to do a JV flip together, I could wholesale it, offer to buy it myself for a BRRRR or other long term personal investment, etc. 

That could be a pro or a con depending on your personal feelings about being involved in your property management. 

If you can't keep control of your personal finances, you are highly unlikely to succeed in real estate investing.

Only thing is other than personal finance, what other methods are there for funding, buy, rehab, rent out and hold type deals.

Check whether the area has any max unrelated person ordinances.

This gave us a feel of foot traffic, if people hung around certain locations, and any other suspicious activity.