Eventually I found a buyer & had it under contract for 185k with me paying closing costs.

From there on, I was convinced that Real Estate was my ticket to live the life that I wanted to live and to eventually escape the "rat race". 

I want to start out by living on the property and managing it and eventually moving when the place is running correctly.

My guess is wholesaling will become illegal across the entire country as it is seen as consumer fraud and that means the feds will eventually get involved. 

This could still work well (my three-step goal is place for her to live initially, rental 5 years down the road, inheritance eventually).

I will eventually but right now as a newbie I'm focused on one thing which is building a buyer's list.

I know it may seem daunting to bring in an attorney, but eventually it's something you'll need.

It's definitely a battle that needs to be fought eventually, but I didn't feel like I was in a position to be the one to fight it. 

We don't like the situation and probably will eventually have them sign our lease/rental agreement once things are stabilized.

Eventually the economy will slow, rates will go down, rents will decline (as the new building vacancy rates increase forcing developers to lower their prices), and state/local taxes will continue their upward march.