Wholesaling gives you the chance to analyze renovations and rentals, and get feedback from end buyers/investors without the risk. 

I'm not a registered lender so max I could charge is 10%, so the risks are definitely not worth the reward, but maybe we could do a joint venture or figure out a way for me to get paid?   

All in all, there are enough ways to make money without that much risk.

As a Certified Financial Planner™ the first thing we need to address when speaking with a client is mitigating their risk and the use of living trusts is one way in which we can do so, especially when it comes to real estate.I do not want to get into too many details here but there are many different types of trusts used for a number of different purposes.

I am assessing a deal for a 2 unit building.A commercial space on the bottom and residential on top.I am confident of improvement costs and my eventual cash flow.Regarding assessing the value of the deal.Normally, I would simply divide my cash flow (which includes mortgage payments) by the down payment to get a return.However, because of the condition of the building and the better deal I can get I plan on buying the property cash then improving it and then refinancing to get most of my cash back.My big question is that going all cash and planning on a refinance is riskier than mortgaging upfront and only risking your down payment.But I am not sure how to calculate this risk.(1)What are some risks to my cash that is tied up before I refinance?

My personal opinion is (I want to build long term wealth in addition to my 40 hr a week job) that building a cash flow positive tenant based investment portfolio with covered risk is the best way to build long term wealth.Thanks for your input!

I think you could reduce risk finding one of those parcels in an established subdivision where a person purchased a second lot when they built their home and left it vacant.

I look at Bitcoin as betting at the black jack table & real estate is a real investment that i feel i can make calculated risks with. 

My question is, are the pipes at risk of bursting during the winter if there is no water running through them?

Some landlords no longer use Craigslist due to the risk of having ads stolen by scammers.If you are near a military base AHRN (Automated Housing Referral Network) is another option for listing a rental.Gail