You should meet as many players in the game as possible.

Single family houses would not work, for example, in most of Lower Manhattan.....Find your local meetings at MeetUp.com and NationalREIA.comLearn what investors in your area are buying and where the big players are making their money.Good luck!

Find some good players in your market and learn from them by serving them. 

You are beginning to sound like a Poker player that keeps adding chips to a pot, looking at 2 Aces and a King, thinking the odds are with him drawing another Ace. 

Perhaps you take the deal to a larger player and get a referral fee

As long as you include a 'due diligence' clause saying you can cancel the contract at the end of that period you should be covered.Not sure why you are even worried about who pays what closing cost if you're in a hot market and are a serious player.

Strange as it sounds - $1 Million doesn't really make you a Real Player in the Apartment arena in most situations.It could fit you into a number of Duplex - Fourplex projects!  

One or two players left after the shakeout and it will be the wholesale model.  

Also, try to find some players in your market and see if you can follow them around, answer phones, or do some work for them for free.

I am looking for help of any kind from experienced players to help make this possible.