They are prompt, proactive and understand property management from an investment perspective.  

I’m glad you were able to move on without signing, shows the agent understands/is a good guy/gal, or knows other firms wouldn’t require such a signature. 

Then connect with some hard money lenders (you can find some here on BP as well as some who are typing this right now) and connect with them to understand their product type, what they like to lend on and requirements.Hard money broker is all numbers game of making relationships and helping those that are looking for financing, it starts out slow but if you get with a few good borrowers and lenders it can be pretty decent money to be made.As an example we paid six figures last year to HM brokers. 

We normally do not seek judgement due to the expense that is involved, even after you win you have to continue to renew the judgement every year.We put them in collections and have it hit all three credit bureaus.

Verifying last 2 years of rental history and income extremely important to find the “best of the worst”.Make sure you understand the Class of properties you are looking at and the corresponding results to expect.

@Michael Long less than 5% of agents really understand what an investor is looking for!

Rehab costs and ARV (After Repair Value) are key parts of evaluating deals, so it’s great that you’re diving into these concepts early.For rehab costs, creating a rough estimate starts with understanding the scope of work and local pricing for materials and labor. 

I understand if a contractor doesn't want to agree to it.

Make sure that your tax accountant understands this. 

It's people who understand that it takes effort to become successful, typically from CA at this point, and have a way of showing those characteristics, do best.