Deren Huang is a good person/realtor to work with but keeps pretty busy.

If you have an awesome realtor like Avery Carl like I do it makes things easier.

I'm a Realtor in LA and Ventura County.

There is a cost of entry to obtain your license.....school, exam, licensing, hanging with a broker, MLS fees, lockbox key fees, Realtor association fees, etc.However, the benefits are vast for investors as you get real time access to mls, and access to properties at your convenience with your lockbox key.  

My realtor and I have been putting offers on houses in Bear Creek Village but keep getting outbid by, assumingly, people who want to turn the house into a rental.

If it's the latter, should I ask my realtor for a recommendation?

An experienced local investor friendly realtor should know what works or is appropriate in your market.But that doesn't mean you need to get yourself into deals that don't make money. 

I’m looking for Property Management, Realtors/Agents, Contractors, tradesmen, handymen, banks who can pull off delayed financing.

Her hubby is super frugal and risk averse so even that “small” loss hits hard.Jay Hinrichs agree that the realtor is also at fault here.

Solution: Realtor providing repair solutions(or market ready solutions) for sellers by fronting funds or bringing in a crew to do the work.