And better understanding of timelines associated with each step of the process.

My friends had nothing to do with the rampage, but they were guilty by association (in the eyes of the landlord).

Check the association's covenants for a nuisance clause. 

Just remember to keep your license active you'll need to hang it with a broker and all the associated dues/fees generally cost $2k to $3k annually.I'd be happy to chat /brainstorm /have that virutal cup of coffee about real estate related w2 jobs. 

If the Fed rate hike wasn't the threat, then what was there to be concerned about?

With housing in short supply, there are apparently plenty of people willing to wire thousands of dollars to someone they have never met, without any evidence that the person they are wiring the money to has access to or any association with the property.These types of scams are very common in the area, and I am wondering what "best practices" people use to avoid having their properties used by a third party to scam a prospective tenant.I am planning to add a watermark to my listing photos with an email address.

To be associated with Biggerpockets would be fantastic, who wouldn't want to do it for free?

Do those evenings or weekends.You can do all these events at their offices or sometimes at educational events at the association of realtors.

The key is to educate yourself on these issues, understand how to spot them, understand why some of these issues might (or might not) need to be remediated, and understand how they can be remediated--and the costs associated with remediation.The only issue that is a total deal-breaker for me, personally, is major structural issues (e.g.; major settling, serious foundation problems)...but even then, there are investors who specialize in buying and fixing those types of properties --again, the key is educating yourself so you know what you're getting into. ...it sounds as if maybe you're looking for a hard-and-fast rule like "DON'T buy a property with X", or "DO buy a property with Y"  --the reality is, REI is rarely, if ever, that cut-and-dry--it has many shades of grey, and it requires flexibility and creative thinking.Good luck!

Seller got to evade capital gains tax, they got full fair market value of the property at the time without repair, and whatever headache associated with the property becomes mine.