In order to organize your search, create a spreadsheet and gather the following data points for the past 5 years for at least 7 midwest markets:- unemployment- job growth- job diversification- income growth- population growth- home pricing- rent affordability- vacancy ratesAlso note, landlord / tenant laws and property tax ratesOnce you have this, order your search based on trends (there isn't a perfect market either). 

Further, we don't know how the OP is organized for federal income tax purposes.Thus, the conclusion that the lender has a 1098 obligation is premature. 

Right off the bat I could tell that he is super organized and thorough which was imperative for me doing an out of town flip. 

His is a quality organization, that I recommend you look into.

Contact a few lenders and see what they say.If you try 5, you will likely get 5 varying answers.It will also help you organize your info and numbers.

What programs/software do you guys use to organize your network of investors/cash buyers?

In most cases, leads that show motivation have a problem "right now", and showing up in Google search results via organic or paid allows you to try to provide them with a "right now" solution. 

It's only a stepping stone to break free.While you are slaving, eat ramen, roommate up or live in trailer, avoid Starbucks and tuck every dollar you can squeeze out into a bank account. need 20% down and money for materials. so for 80K home (trashed), you will want 35K banked to get started, just a rough idea.Then, get pre-approved.

The guest speakers that come through are always commenting on how large of a group we are and how well run the organization is, so I guess that's a good thing.

That's what throws the traditional calculations off and why those calculations are tools for projections, not rules of the universe set in stone.