Be sure to include a written statement that you are happy to pay the non-seller his/her 50% of the annual rental value -if they prefer to vacate the house and leave it to you. 

1) You need to do your research to pick an RE niche you want to concentrate on2) Once nu 1 above is done, then concentrate on learning and educating yourself on such niche including market analysis, underwriting, searching for deals, establishing connections in the area, etc...3) By the time you're done with nu 2, take action!

Good morning BP,My wife and I are newbie investors here in the Buffalo, NY area and looking for referrals for a good Real Estate Attorney - preferably local. 

You definitely need to start with what niche you want to focus on.

A lot will depend on your bandwidth and time commitment. 2) Once you figure it out, you can look into different niches within the options available for either active or passive investors.3) Educating yourself on the option selected is must.4) Take action once you have the power of knowledge in you.Best!

Being a Realtor, I prefer negotiating with other Realtors.

The bank I am working with prefers to lend on an occupied building with leases. 

Do you prefer to be passive or active?

So I took more of an economic approach then I added some personal preferences. 

Work with real estate agent to find  rental property somewhere I’d like to live (for a year minimum) Preferably with vetted tentats already living in it.3.