It’s an investment that will likely pay off in terms of durability, maintenance savings, and overall property value over time.

Do they charge any fees in addition to their asking price for properties?

While it's not completely unusual for deals to die at the table, if enough happen in a row you generally need to look in the mirror - what is your role in blowing up the deal?

Occasionally, I assist fellow investors in finding suitable properties.I have two clients who are business partners who are interested in making lowball offers on various listings.

Increase supply (or at least encourage development), and the prices will eventually come down (as we've seen in other large cities like Austin where the demand boom was followed by a supply boom - and now both sale prices and rents have gone down). 

Example: I define what zip codes (or neighborhoods) that I buy in.

Maybe someone else could chime in, but for my area, 2.15 acres might be a very small park? 

I'm finally ready to take the plunge into real estate investing and am super interested in the potential of short-term and mid-term rentals.I'm drawn to the idea of creating passie income .Right now, I'm trying to narrow down my market ( North carolina and Texas)and learn the ins and outs of STR property analysis.

Thanks in advance for all your insights and advice!  

Do you have a nice amount saved up for the activities you enjoy(I assume yes given a 30+ year in Tech plus you mentioning making lots of money already in real estate).If that is the case, what are you looking to achieve now within real estate?