If I'm in your shoes (which I was a few years ago) I would recommend attending at least 1-2 real estate meetups a month to start putting yourself out there and networking with other players in your market. 

What general contractor recommendation have you used in the past that can pull a permit with the City of Chicago that you recommend?

I have a few properties in high traffic areas with at I plan to utilize by putting up some “we buy houses type signs”.

I know you are there, but this is a market that is down from its previous highs by a lot.

This is 100% leveraging, which is high-risk, and it probably doesn't make sense because the loans will be more than the income.This property sounds like a good opportunity, but I recommend you find a way to save up for the down payment.

They're crazy high numbers. 

My recommendation is research them all, go to local meetups, and find what you're most passionate about and what you're best at.

So, I'm left questioning what benefits there are to the 2/1 buydown that would make it a recommended option.I'm thinking that if I skip the 2/1 buydown, the cash to close would be lower, meaning I'd need to put in less of my own money upfront, which seems like a better option to me.

I highly recommend that you go to a weekend event with Scott Meyers and read several books on self storage.

Would you recommend this protege program?