I've done enough reading and listening to bring me to a point where I'm debating between working for next to nothing (or actually nothing) for some investor who can put me to work doing menial tasks in exchange for learning everything I can from him, or just going out there and trying my hand at wholesaling.

My idea is to create simple contracts for jobs (i.e Contract for: CONTRACTOR Address:### Street,City, State Task:TASK Description Cost:$XXX.XX) for each task to get exactly what I expect.  

It all comes down to taking on the task and following thru.

I've read quite a few posts about owner occupants being able to qualify for unique perks mortgages in Detroit, so that's another low risk option you have to liquidate the asset and not have future ties to it.3) land contract it to the tenant.

I'm in a unique position to be able to work on real estate investing full time now, and so trying to decide which direction/niche to start with.

You do have a very unique problem as a bank probably won't touch financing that property. 

An inspector will be looking for red flags that something is wrong with each system (including but not limited too: Leaks, major code violations, differences between new/old building standards, electrical, plumbing).If you are a wholesaler, hiring a home inspector allows you to create a comprehensive report of major issues found in the home, take a large amount of photos, and create 2 really unique value propositions for you:  1) You have a comprehensive report so you can hand that to end buyers and show them the work required (no more Open Houses!)

I know leaping into the REI world is not an easy task.

Each coastal city can have unique insurance markets and you can spend hours and days trying to find options, and at the end of it you will still not know if you have a competitive premium.

I think projecting the number of jobs Yakima County gain in 2016 is a challenging task.