Welcome to a really great real estate investment, networking, and all around solid website Jay.

Also, I don't know about your area, but in NJ/NY it is pretty easy to track down an owner of an abandoned property for free (or very little cost) so I don't see why you should waste your money on a skip trace service.

Maybe I am wasting time with this situation (and probably with others I have been talking to as well), but since I am new to this, I'm happy to hustle a little extra for little or no return.

For one house (presumably in good condition, in a solid area, with good-quality tenants), are you sure you need to pay a PM for anything other than the initial tenant placement?

All in all though, think we raked in a solid deal.Please review my numbers and let me know how I did.Purchase price: $92,900 (all cash)Closing costs: $1,800 (inspection, survey, etc)Renovation costs: $22,000Holding costs: $1500 (utilities/taxes/insurance)ARV: $160,000Closing costs: $8000 (realtor commissions)Net Profit: $33,800!

(I would have saved so many headaches - like this one: How NOT to Flip a House: An Embarrassing Story of Wasted Time, Money, and Opportunity )

I think an intent to purchase letter is a waste of time.

It might be worth paying someone experienced from your local real estate investor group to walk you through.So many questions with your post that you can't get solid direction here.

I'm looking for solid, credible information that will help me grow as an investor.

The principles are solid so far, and the purpose of the 10 months to read it is because it takes repetition to form habits, and this book is all about developing GOOD habits!