can you determine a worst case rehab number based on exterior viewing,  age of house,  etc? 

Kitchens, baths, appliances, flooring, exterior ... general sensible tips.  

I’m comfortable managing the tenants/properties but don’t have a good grasp of how the close these non-MLS as this will potentially be my first one.Based on your experience, do most agents accept a flat rate, opposed to standard commission, to manage the close process in these non-MLS scenarios?

If you need advice on a particular area, I know the AV pretty well and can give you my two cents@John Steele I'm not opposed to investing out of state.

One of my tenants in a triplex  has refused to allow my agent to show the exterior of the bldg. and common outside areas to prospective buyers.

I'm also not dead set on a duplex and am not opposed to a 3/2 and could rent 2 bedrooms out as STR or LTR if necessary.

i currently have my house listed with a real estate agent because i need to sell my house. however, i have to sell it as is, and have no funds to update the home. it needs no repairs, has new roof, new a/c, new guttters, new downspouts, new windows, and the exterior is brick. there are no holes in the walls or anything like that. in fact i lived there for 3 years anticipating living there for a lifetime and fixing up when i had the money. divorce has caused me to buy a different home, and wanting to sell this home. the problem is, regular people don't want to buy it because it needs so much updating, needing new cabinets, new bathtub, some walls have paneling, etc....i have a feeling it may sell better to a flipper, but in order for a flipper to get a good deal, and for me to get out without owing too much money on the house i just bought, i would rather not sell to an investor through a realtor.the realtor's contract is up in 6 weeks. i have recieved several offers from investors, but after the realtor takes his cut, i am unable to accept those offers, although, without a realtor, i would have accepted.so my question comes down to this, where is the best place in order to let investors know i have a property for sale without a realtor, and is it wise to do it this way, or should i just call those "we buy houses" phone numbers or what?

As far as flipping I need to gather the info about the comps there and see what it is listing for now as opposed to what a finished basement would bring the price to.  

You can buy cash flow rentals in CA  within a few hours of were you live that will do as well if not better than many markets... you may want to check those out as well.And if you have friends and family in Nashville I would certainly start there as opposed to a place you have no known associates other than those you meet on line and think are nice !.

You want tax-payer backstopped loans as a "public good" but then it should be ok to default on them because we all aspire to the absolutely mediocre goal of the  "working middle class," as opposed to insouciance wealth I suppose, because we all know rich people are lazy and didn't earn their money.