I do have someone that works in our office to help make sure our single water bill is split into the various properties it belongs to and stuff like that, but until I had about 500 or so units, I did all of it myself.I don't want to sound like a d**k, but when I see someone start with "I'm looking to build a team" that's a giant red flag and I can be pretty sure that person if very unlikely to buy.Focus on these three things only at this point:1) How do I get money for my down payment2) Who's going to lend me my ~75% once I have my down payment3) How to find the properties I want to buyThe rest is noise and really just done to make people think they're moving forward towards their goal when they're not

B) stuff that previously languished for a while is also “pending” offers now including land.

So I just recently purchased my first investment property, and during the process, the mortgage lender was trying to nudge me into getting the loan as a secondary residence (stuff like: "You'll get a lower rate, you can provide a lower down payment, you just need to stay there for 14(?) 

I've bought both places that need no work-well minor stuff that can be done in a day, and places that need a lot more work (1-3 months).

I do wonder, like you, how many landlords have not served the notices...I self-manage so I'm on top of these things but i'm sure most just entrust this stuff to their prop mgrs.

I arrived there Jan 2017.

Rentometer is like ZIlliow in that it lumps stuff together and treats them all the same.With apartments.com, you can screen by ZIP (or other location), usually, you can get a picture so you can eyeball if its a match, the size of the complex, and some amenities. 

Inspector/contractor/property manager will be the team of experts you will rely on to make an informed final buying decision here. 10) RENOVATE - you must use an airtight process to manage your contractor to protect yourself and arrive at the desired outcome, on time, within budget.

The things we put the most thought into were;1) How to arrive at a 'buy out price' ahead of time, meaning not to come up with it at the point someone wants out.

tstorm that arrives is a chance to provide awesome service so good that it will turn a negative situation into something that your tenants can brag to their friends about.