Caasi:  Richard, I'd love to hear about what you ultimately decide.

Be sure and check out the“Learn tab above” and download a free copy of “The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Real Estate Investing”.

http://www1.play.it/audio/the-ultimate-entrepreneu...Show 25.

At this point in my career, I can make the time to get started.Starting this year, I've been reading books on real estate including "The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Real Estate Investing" "Investing in Real Estate with no (and low) Money Down" and "The Book on Rental Properties".

As those 45 days winds down they start scrambling and ultimately pick a crappy property due to poor planning.This is why on the commercial side when someone wants to buy something with a 1031 they have to follow the steps and the plan.

Check out the ultimate beginners guide here at BP.

But if you have 2 cash deals with no contingencies, sizeable EMD, but one buyer has their own agent and the other buyer would be your client, which ultimately gives you a little more control over the transaction and could benefit the seller, which offer would you guess has the better chance?

You want to get some practice before exposing your inexperience to the important brokers who you may ultimately be looking for deal flow from.  

I highly suggest you to read, "The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Real Estate Investing".

Probably wise to acquire something that you can afford to hold long-term [EDIT: I just realized that the Deferred Sales Trust I brought up in another comment elsewhere might become a popular option if it survives tax reform and the 1031 doesn't.]