I would concentrate on a smaller area and send postcards once a month to the same prospects, one mailing is not going to produce the results you may be expecting.

Our long term goal is to build a portfolio of rental properties that produce passive income both for his retirement and my long term wealth.

I like the flipping aspect because it would give me a way to produce capital quickly to invest into other properties.

I have an office in Provo and #1 producer for RE/MAX since 2012.

my father has been  a landlord for 20 years in detroit so i get to hear all about them since ive been around1 self employed people they  always fail to pay on time and leave dirt everywhere to be cleaned 2 those who turn into a life of crime and decide the unit is either a great place to distribute narcotics meth and other dangerous substances or worse they decide its a perfect place to produce drugs having the fbi lock down the unit and investigate my father this has happened 5 times now3 have had two units completely scrapped and i mean interiors gutted, copper pipes ripped heaters boilers even the shower and toilets stolen, these skin heads even tore threw the walls to steal all the electrical and hvac, needless to say they costed tens of thousands 4 one tenant decided it was a cool idea to pay for one month, then strip the entire location. once the tenant was evicted the house was burned to the ground. no charges were ever given .5 worst of all is when people die. once a drunk driver in a pickup truck drove right into the living room and killed not only himself but the tenants watching tv in the room, weve also had about 3 that i remember who we found laying dead from alcohol poisoning, the last one we payed to be sent and burried near his family  also we once had a witch doctor, this old lady disappeared after renting for a year. when we went inside the walls were covered in blood, there were rotting animals that had been cut open, candles and wax stuck all over the place. 

I have been selling real estate for the last 3 years and was Remax's youngest top producer every year.

This will apply to both flipping and people who are possibly going to remodel in preparation to list a SFR.I am wondering what has proven to be the areas or specific items that have produced the biggest return when putting dollars into a home? 

Nothing super special about it other than the fact that it is stable and produces consistent income and great tenancy rates.

Have the buyers loan office produce a "Pre-Approved Letter' at or slightly higher than the offer price for the property.There is no reason for the other side to know how much money the buyer has.I do this all the time when I'm the buyer agent.Hope this helps. 

Welcome Bryan,  Real Estate is a great way to go for secure Passive income, I have a  number of rental properties and all are producing a positive cash flow.