As with our government, the idea of living within your means and saving money seem like rocket science to most people.  

@Dwayne Jones Appraisals are one of the most frustrating parts of my business - but it is an imperfect science and a lot of it is based on personal judgement, so I understand it.

You could also look for a broker to help you out- I have one insured through American Modern.  

She advised me to try and focus on getting my life together, which she defined as securing better employment in science; the degree that earned me my student loan debt.I don't know if I will be attending said REIA again next month because of the "speaker" they had that night.

I was given a tour last week for the first time of the whole new office they remodeled, it is very modern and really nice.

@Heather HarrisonPicking comps can be both an art and a science.  

After speaking with a broker in Virgin, UT, I learned that capitalizing on that  Zion national park tourist vacation rental market can be (relatively) pricey and challenging.My investor and I are looking for something close to nature or smack-dab in nature; but, still close enough to modern amenities to resolve any issues should they arise (emergencies/food etc).I learned that if you are in the mountains, you will more than likely not have year round access, no water/rights, 2 hours away from amenities and no management willing to make the drive to check on 1 cabin, needless to say it was a little discouraging to hear. 

If you are looking for mentoring you definitely will not want one of those At the same time, most of what you do as a broker is not rocket science.

They are not atheistically pleasing nor do they do any work in modernizing an already in place fixture, and they often will cost as much as just replacing the fixture.

Also, if you have a more modern unit, they have some pretty trendy patterns available, just FYI, and your higher-end tenants might appreciate it.