If you decide to go the mortgage broker way and are successful, you will develop a solid relationship as well. 

hi there @Colin Dunne, welcome to the world of bpthere are many ways to go about investing in real estate and the truth is that there is no wrong way of going about it.as long as you #getstarted is the main thing, oh yes and don't lose money, there is some great information out there is on this website as well as youtube etc. the podcasts on here are amazing and they allow you to hear others successful stories as well as what was their motivation to get them going and continue pushing on.i'm soon starting my own meet up here in the area and bring in people that can help along the ways through this process,i'll keep you posted on the dates.

Since we are buying several of each item (we need 2-3 sets now) and hopefully will be rehabbing 8-12 by year 2/3, has anyone had success negotiating a bulk discount with either the big box brands or with a smaller family owned appliance store or even a retail distributor. 

See now why understanding of SEO is the key to success, without following the "usual" rules?

If you consider your portfolio as your corporation, all you really need to do is look at how the world's most successful corporations operate (other than ruthlessly slitting the throats of their competition!).

I asked the guy who runs it (who's been in the game for 27 or so years and is very successful) if he'd ever consider doing a crash course in the basics so I wouldn't have to wait for a once-a-month meeting.

You need to decide what criteria works for you and your situation- in my mind, that is the most critical factor for success.

Sometimes it gets people off their bark-a-lounger and involved but many times people spend the money only to find out they need one on one help through a couple of transactions to have the knowledge and confidence to actually be successful.

So I feel it's definitely a limiting factor to a sale.I feel like I'd be narrowing down my possibilities of a successful transaction telling the seller I'll cover it and expect a unrepresented buyer working on their credit to bring a huge EMD, Purchase Option, and/or pay elevated rent. 

If you're interested in reading more, I wrote a book on how to find your niche and be successful as a real estate investor.