If you can’t personally appraise that house yourself with confidence more accurately than 8.5% what are you buying it for?

Not exactly a vote of confidence.

I’ve read the books, watched the videos, but I just don’t feel confident enough to analyze a property and commit to using a large chunk of what I’ve saved.    

If short-term rentals are frowned upon by your city but it's near a hospital or school, you could turn them into medium-term rentals (i.e. longer than 30 days but less than 3-6 months) for travel nurses, visiting professors, etc. 

It is truly making me more confident to go ahead and start! 

This is the value add you need from your agent and will give you significant confidence pulling the trigger.

Certainly some families and older folks, but true travelers looking for slopes are going to go to Mammoth for vacation, not Bear. 

I am only going by what he has told me, but houses in his neighborhood are selling for around $134 per sqft and he has his house listed on the market for about $100 sqft. w/ no nibbles at all.My coworker almost failed an exam a couple of days ago and he confided in me that he is stressed about being unable to sell his house and it is effecting his ability to concentrate during exam time.I don't know if this is the right place, but are there any NC flippers out there willing to take a peak at my coworkers house?

I'm in NYC as well (although travel about 1/2 the time to the midwest).

I'm pretty confident that I can get you up to speed on SEO but I need those questions answered first.ThanksJ