Upselling: Simply put: our coaching, educational materials, access to teams on the ground, lenders, and daily live webinar calls are all included from the start and there is no conventional “upselling” that is required to receive that value.Secret: I used to think that none of this was “that complicated” as you mentioned, but then when we started FlipSystem I realized just how lost so many newer investors are.

We require co-signer to be local and a real estate owner, so that in case of default we can lien their real estate.

Also, 6 months reserves is a great rule of thumb, and some lenders require that as proof as well.We do have an arrangement with Helix Mattresses where I can +/- 50% off retail with free shipping on all mattresses. 

Do you need a certain amount of cash flow, are renovations required, how many bedrooms, etc4)who’s your ideal tenant, if you’re renting out?

If the city is ok with STR's, I then check to see what permits are required for STR operation.

As a result, meeting the requirements to be considered  a real estate professional may proved to be difficult. 

I have a full time job that pays around 170k excluding stock options (which I would like to retain as a separate investment for now but I am open to use that for real estate if required).

If the property is tenant occupied, you should require your tenants to have renters policies and lastly and just as important as the insurance you obtain is knowing all vendors you rely upon to perform work at the property and on your behalf are properly insured.

Creditors and lenders are not required by law to report to credit bureaus.

I have done my research online and it doesn't seem like the strongest market (population is stagnant, crime rate is not the best, job industry isn't very strong) but I know personal accounts are important as well.