I suppose it's just a matter of keeping my ears and eyes open here and elsewhere to find the right team/pipeline including lenders who are willing to work with me.The good news is, If I cut my teeth in this environment, it should be really smooth sailing down the road.

What other systems do you utilize to make this process smooth and efficient?

Whenever you are buying a property out of state you should do a few things to ensure it's as smooth as possible.Don't buy in the roughest neighborhood in the urban core.

@Santosh PrabakarAs bill said, the bank could foreclose and wipe those liens so doubt they will let it slide, better to try and negotiate the liens - what type of liens are they?

That's awesome.....smooth sailing from here on out hahaWe definitely have a couple of Chicago masons that could take a look at this project for you. 

The estimates you make pre-purchase with the 50% rule smooth this out over many years, and so aren't very reliable for predicting any particular year.

Renovations going as smoothly as possible are vital to your success.

Two or three day laborers to remove all the carpet and trash, some "Kilz" for the walls prior to a repaint, re-secure the electrical outlet and replace the missing outlet covers, some vinyl flooring, check everything for proper and smooth function, good to go!

By skillfully structuring and capitalizing on the circumstances presented to us, we ensured the smooth execution of our plans.Owner Finance: $100k @ 0%Hard Money: $469k AQ + 550k Rehab @ 8.5% + ~2% originationCash ~$250k (savings)How did you add value to the deal?

Even when things are going smoothly and with the expedite fee, the AZ Corp Commission is taking at least a week (and frequently longer) for form your LLC.