Ok, now that you have taken your initial step, below are some quick links to get engaged.http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere Setting up Keyword Alerts How to Use @Mentions on BiggerPockets 25 Tips for Real Estate SuccessREI can be very daunting, but, before you go searching for that 1st buy, please take a few minutes to bone up on the tips in link below.http://www.realestate.com/advice/buying-your-first-investment-property/

@ Paul TimminsThanks for tip.  

@Brett Allender good tip about interview buyers first. where did you find the buyers?

Any tips on starting a wholesaling business with a partner? 

@Brian Gibbons, @Michelle Murray , Account Closed have all given some great advice.Here a few more tips to get the most out of BP:Start here.

I rented a floor buffer from home depot, along a with carbide tipped blade attachment.

It worked out ok for us.I did some landscaping which I liked when I lived there, but it was too high maintenance when we moved and I managed it as a landlord.I did some "home improvements" because we were excited about our first house, which in retrospect did not help might have hurt the rentability.One year after we moved to a house, my wife got a job offer out of the area and we moved.

Remember that to show the property, they will most likely need to disturb their tenants, also tipping their hand that they are selling - in many cases the tenants do not know.b) It sounds like your particular owner has had a number of offers fall through.

There is a mix of sod and drought resistant landscaping.

If you chose not to wholesale it but keep it can you pay for it to be boarded up and made safe including keeping the landscaping and surrounding areas clean and likewise safe?