You can improve your odds by making your letter unique so that it gets opened.

I'm from Norfolk VA so either would be new to me but both seem very different and unique from the other.

.- Texas has a very unique market.

I had been looking for a way to track our portfolio's performance, but I couldn't find a single resource online to do so.I built a Google Sheets (aka Excel Online) table that keeps track of the following:Purchase Price and DateCapital ExpensesFull Mortgage Amortization Table for each propertyA separate table letting me keep track of prices (either manually entered, Zestimate, or Appraisals or BPOs when available) (I had this automatically pull data from Zillow for a while, but then it broke, I'm working on a new version that will fix this.)

I would prefer to work with a local one in Minneapolis so that I could "sit across the table" from this person to work through the transaction structure although I suppose now with all the technology available the attorney would not have to be local.  

We also bought a pool table, ping-pong table, grill and patio furniture, and washer/dryer for our rental along with a couple of TVs, a DVD player, etc.One area not to skimp: chairs.

Good luck with your endevors and hope to meet up with you at a future FIBI event (I was at a the last round table they had).FYI - another great place to meet other investors is the BP meetup ran by Clint:Orange County BP Meetup

I have a unique situation. 

I'm assuming this won't be an issue with the contractors but of the jobs that I'm doing myself I'll have friends and family helping who are going to be paid under the table in cash (unless there is a better/safer way to compensate these type of workers).

If the seller is a bank, then seller financing is off the table.