If you're a one man show trying to wear all the hats, this will help you get more deals done while getting established.2)A couple months back, I had a buyer pull out 2 days before closing.

Also you should investigate the values, look for previous appraisals, comps (as you mentioned) tax values and anything else that helps establish a value and include these items with your quote request if possible.

How do you establish your home as a primary residence for two years with IRS for capital gains tax exemption?

Here's an article that lists some of the more common sources for establishing the rent amount: How to Determine Fair Market Rent.

I think it may be prudent to use the CPA at least initially.As to establishing the basis for depreciation, it's not all that complicated but has a bunch of working parts.

Each plan involves a legal entity whereby you have full control of where funds are held, and can use a bank, brokerage or both using institutions of your choosing.Many of our clients will establish a plan with a primary non-traditional investment in mind such as rental property, mortgage notes, real estate syndicates, etc., then separately open a brokerage trading account within the entity to manage the balance of their portfolio in conventional assets.So bottom line; Wall St firms are Wall St assets only.  

I got a civil engineering firm that can survey and apply for subdivision for 10-15k but I have no idea how likely that gamble is to succeed so I can't really calculate ROI.

Once you establish your cost database you can tell the contractors what you will pay instead of waiting for bids and negotiating.  

You can check this article on the different types of partnerships compared to a venture-specific LLC, and finally I always recommend this article as a good starting point for the topics all partners should discuss and have established before starting an investment.If you have more questions on the legal side of how these things pull together, let me know. 

It’s wise to find a park with established workampers and/or a seller who is willing to stay on for a little while after closing.