In the end, the properties have to generate decent returns (i.e. usually cap rates on real NOI>7%).  

hi there,i'm wanting to get into more of a long game scenario w buy&holds, but keep hearing that wholesales, flips, etc. are a great way to generate some quick (or quicker) profit that can then be used to help to fund the b&h strategy. i don't know the beginnings, however, of what to look for/watch out for in relation to that sort of strategy. this was just sent to me by zillow because it's in the area i've been looking: http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/fsba,fsbo,for...it's a super solid area with incredibly high demand. this could end up being a buy & hold, actually, since it fits a lot of the things we've been looking for and is in the area we'd prefer no less.i guess my question is simply this: how do i best assess this in terms of it being an REO?

Check with your 401k administrator to see if this is possible with your plan through an "in-service" distribution.There is no financial level of qualification, but setting up a plan requires that you have sufficient capital to A) conduct the type of investments you wish and B) generate sufficient returns to justify the cost and effort of establishing the plan.Plan services and fees vary greatly.  

I have been running a business and want to start generate my own work as a developer/GC/investor.

., golf courses, hotels, wind generating plants, marina, oil refiners, federal or land acquisition.)

Sounds like a can't lose proposition to me.That said, I believe the millennial generation will be a generation that rents far longer into their life than their parents did as they are waiting longer to marry and tend to be more transient in their 20's than their parents were.

We advertise our properties before the tenants have moved out, but don't show a unit until the tenants are out AND it's clean.That gives us ~30 days to play with the price and generate interest.

One way to force appreciation though is to fix up a property, or take a multifamily property like the triplex and improve its cash flow (whether by generating higher rents or lowering costs), since multifamily properties are always bought by investors and are typically valued based off of their returns.  

I'm very attracted to deep value situations, which to me means gross cash flow generation above the 2% mark (to give a general metric).  

There are so many different ways to generate a credit score....Experian, Equifax and TransUnion are credit bureaus and keep your credit report info.