In San Antonio, contractors are required to register with Development Services and obtain liability insurance.So, just reach out to the agency and see what they say.  

Hi there,Pretty new to REI as well.Things I've done to gain knowledge:-Listen to BP podcast-Read RE books-Enrolled in a RE course (I take an exam in a few months to obtain my license)-Look at listings throughout the day in states I've been eye-ing-Analyze potential deals by plugging numbers in a spreadsheet (to calculate what ROI will be first year, second year, etc) -Been reaching out to seasoned RE investors-Saving more $ to increase capitalGood luck to us!

I'd like to maximize my income stream somewhat quickly (5-10yrs) while also obtaining monthly cash flow properties.

You may also want to go over the app docs they obtained and their screening of the 3 evicted tenants.

Hi, I'm looking to obtain my first real estate investment for rent. 

It's pretty common to obtain 100% financing for both the purchase and rehab funds after you've been doing this for a while.Borrowing, of course, is a two-edged sword because your interest payments, especially for a hard money loan, can eat 1/4 to 1/3 of your profit.

, which is indicative of either the broker having  no idea of what an appraisal entails and how it relates to the subject property or the mortgage broker is so weak that he is afraid to educate the borrower as to the reality of obtaining commercial loans without appraisals.

Once the 1031 exchange is completed (again assuming 1031 compliance), I can continue to rent the property indefinitely or at any point after 2 years of rental, use it as a primary residence and thereafter living in the property for at least two years qualify to use the Section 121 Exclusion to eliminate capital gains entirely (gains estimated to be about $70 K, well under the $250,000 single filing limit).

Ty, do you see any issues with the fact the daughter is obtaining the loan as a Second Home but not using the loan for a second home?

It's easy to obtain, costs very little, and doesn't require extra, on-going effort to maintain.