(Read my BP profile)(No I'm not an attorney and this is not legal advise but I was in the past involved in my own family probate matter)  

I'd want someone to have my back.Second, if I were to "forget" to mention those kinds of things, my reputation would be in the toilet as fast as you can say "Yelp".I'd bet most good agents would do exactly the same thing. 

Best bet: connect with local investors/lenders/brokers to narrow your focus (what type of asset, what sub-market of the metroplex).

We are from out of state, so our agent will need to be actively involved in our due diligence process.  

The area is growing and I anticipate rents going up as well as house prices, i don't want to bet on this but it does give me some comfort that equity will increase over the next few years.  

I would bet that the owner works more than 20 hours a week.  

I've heard of Quit Claim Deeds , I don't know if that involves a Gift Tax, which I was told there isnt anything in South Carolina.     

I noticed I needed to get more involved in the community as there are more and more questions that I don't have clear answers to.

As a small scale investor, I would argue the safest bet for the Mom & Pop investors like us is the standard single family rental property.

Understand the fees involved and calculate the total cost for an entire year of management so you can compare the different managers.