utm_source=search&utm_medium=internal&utm_campaign=books (books recommended by BPers)Simply, bone up on the areas that you need to expand knowledge in such as, Forums, Marketplace, Learn, Network, Analyze and Resources.Feast on the Podcasts, #askbp Podcasts, blogs and webinars Lastly, this site thrives on interactions and as such we encourage two way exchanges and look forward to educational and thought provoking ideas relevant to REI.

Sure the Realtor may be a liaison between the two parties and they may interact but in no way shape or form do the two work for one another....Appraisers in this environment seem to error on the side of caution based on what happened in the past it seems...As a result unique properties end up suffering because the value isn't in black and white and the appraisers aren't as creative/adventurous as they once were in a different era..Good luck but I agree with the majority, if you still have a healthy profit go for it as if you roll the dice the appraisal may even come in lower next time..best,Chris

I look forward to interacting with you guys and picking some of your brains on occasion!

EM in the form of a check MUST be deposited within a certain amount of business days.. it can't be held un cashed.. so that is a non issue and your paranoia on that issue is un founded.As to Escrow  in So Cal its customary to have separate escrow and title companies.. in Nor cal for instance and Oregon and Washington Title and escrow is all under one roof.So its common for brokerages to own these.. they must make a disclosure that they own them. and many times in these type of instances the Seller will dictate who they want to work with.. you could of course have an attorney represent you in this transaction and interact  with the escrow company if your that worried.Liz Pendance on the condo makes bank loan not feasible until that's cleared .. so unless your paying cash its a non starter anyway... this is one thing that condo associations and those that own condo's really miss the ball on .. they think they will just sue.. but in essence they cook their own goose as their property becomes illiquid ...

Thats exactly my concern, I understand things pretty quickly but I lack the confidence in my communication skills when it comes to interacting with other investors/sellers.

Sooner or later you too will be as addicted as we are :-)Ok, now that you have taken your initial step, below are some quick links to get engaged. http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere http://www.biggerpockets.com/ubg http://www.biggerpockets.com/meet Setting up Keyword Alerts How to Use @Mentions on BiggerPockets 25 Tips for Real Estate SuccessHowever, this site thrives on interactions and as such we encourage two way exchanges and look forward to educational and thought provoking ideas relevant to REI.

It is certainly good information to know, provided one could understand it.My point is that as a practical matter, if an investor works through a licensed servicer and has the servicer handle interactions and communications with the borrower, the investor has a level of protection. 

Now be sure to be active... you will get so much from this site if you interact.

feel free to interact in the forums, meet some great people, and definitely provide more value to the community by sharing your thoughts, experiences, and of course, success stories!

@Liz Cole  off you go took 35 post to get to the finish line but you got there and really don't take anything personal this is just the internet and a bunch of peoples personal opinions take them all with a grain of salt.. but when we have these type of interactions there is something for someone who reads them that this will help or resonate with.. we can't know what it is or who it helped..You could also just get your GC license as well.. its not that hard ..