Check the newspapers for auctions make note of who is doing it they will have a separate website usually several players do many of them.Check out the Start Here page http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere Check out BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginner's Guide - A fantastic free book that walks through many of the key topics of real estate investing.Check out the free BiggerPockets Podcast - A weekly podcast with interviews and a ton of great advice.

This keeps deadlines on schedule and ensures good quality for the work done.  

How do you ensure that their needs are being met by the PM?

if your talking about actual courthouse steps purchases your chances are zero unless its a close friend family etc.I do a little of this but would only consider the absolute most experienced players.. way to much can be missed buying at auction..

Many players are saying - we can't build it for this, and if we can carry it for a few years, the rents will catch up due to end of stagnation of incomes, lower unemployment, and inventory.  

Things are changing fairly dramatically closer to campus down at U of I in terms of higher end unit construction and if NIU is similar you will want to ensure your plan takes this into account.  

The work would need to be completed then the appraiser would do an final inspection to ensure work is satisfactory. 

@Michael McCartney It is great to see another Ultimate player on the forums.

@Chad Duncan When they talk about closing quickly, they're talking about the escrow process, such as the title search (ensuring that you receive clear title, so if there are any liens or judgments against the property, it may delay the closing date) another component is the loan process, which is what usually pushes out the timeline in escrow.

True wholesalers do not need BP market place. they simply sell to the turn key guys in the markets they are in, or to rehabbers.what you have is a bunch of newbie types that learn on the open forum side then default to market place to try to sell things, so your not getting the true players in the industry in the market place by and large..