Good point @Charles Worth.Guess I was thinking about the 5 years and additional points etc.His rentals are SFR so think he will have sticker shock when going the commercial route plus needing an LLC.

That's why we sign contracts. 2)  IKR,  I was surprised this buyer (Who I deal with regularly) was balking at the 4.5k Assignment fee (which was disclosed upfront).  

But right out of the gate as a newbie, I feel like it's the easiest route for my given circumstances.I would rather have 4 GREAT deals than mediocre deals that I don't have enough equity to pull a decent portfolio loan from.

I guess you need a Property manager for approx 10% if yu are out of the country o a regular basis.  

Question 4   You do not need to worry about cap rate as you need a multi with at least 5 units before cap rate is used in the price anything under you will use your regular comps but you should now where your at 

That kind of activity may not be allowed in the brokerages IC agreement with you and also their E & O policy might not cover it.So you have to talk with a brokerage ahead of time and see if they are okay with it or not.An investor who is a broker might be more apt to work with you because if they lose the brokerage then likely they already own other investment properties versus a regular brokerage where transacting is the lifeblood of their business.New agents often tend to be rogue agents with self interest above the brokerages at any costs.

It's about getting informed about what is possible and then positioning yourself to take advantage on a regular basis.  

The owner said he will cooperate fully if there is a route he can go other than his home going up for sheriff sale.

Since then I am regularly reading forums/blogs and networking with investors/providers. 

I plan on going the B&H route to invest.