Have you seen this house or do you have your own independent person (realtor, contractor, etc) to accurately evaluate the work that needs to be done, and how much it will cost.  

Does anyone know of any turnkey companies that provide a professional independent home inspection report up front on all properties they are offering to investors?

She will want to sell the property for you, though, so it may be better to be transparent from the start that your intent is to sell to the tenant without realtor's fees in between and offer to pay a fair amount for the BPO only ... this is similar to what a bank would order from an independent (i.e. not the listing agent) valuation on a short sale that is cheaper and faster than a formal appraisal.

Another way to think about this - your expenses are independent of the rent you are receiving.

My main goal is to reach financial independence in 10 years or less and I primarily plan on doing that through buy and hold REI though I'm not opposed to buying and flipping or wholesaling to help get me to my goal sooner.  

Shop the rate with three different independent brokers to see who as the most competitive rate.

Working class local folks get the work boot, jeans and Nice T-Shirt look.I want the sellers to be comfortable, so I dress for each situation independently. 

I'll definitely be researching VA loans myself more independently of course... but sometimes research can only tell you so much and you have to chat with the serious players to learn the real tricks of the game :)Thanks again for your help here, Chris, it is much appreciated!

What can't you determine independently?

If you get audited and say there was an honest mistake who pays for that mistake?