I agree, Zillow has been getting me on a lot of dead ends...also very time consuming!

Costs, I don't suggest you do this as a DIY deal, get an attorney, the borrowers can pay the costs of the attorney and the filing fees and settlement costs and the title search, meaning you need to get to a title company, they will tell you what the costs will be.Next, never, never, never use a pre-arranged deed to be held in escrow, in any state, for any commercial or consumer mortgage.

If, on the other hand, this is all too difficult or time consuming and you want an easy way to invest then seek out quality partnerships or joint ventures with people right here on BP. 

If I could walk outta here forever today I'd do it in a heartbeat.That said, Brandon Turner makes a good point: look for SOME kind of RE-related job, even if the pay is minimal.

I had been saving up to buy a duplex for several years so that I could owner-occupy right when I moved out of mom and dad's (guess I got used to paying low rent and wanted that to continue forever).

Consumer reviews have scared me off Home Depot cabinets, but I've been delighted with IKEA so far.

Oh but the family drama that went on after that, how cold hearted I was for kicking them to the street with a baby and all, never mind they cost my father part of his retirement income forever & their friends in the other apt created problems till they got out the next month.  

You have a problem, the tenant will be a consumer loan, living in the property with you as an investor.

Have you looked into Consumer Cellular?

It was time-consuming but the response rate from my first batch of yellow letters was high.