i'm in hopedale MA. i use rentredi for tenant payments. no complaints, simple, i like it. a BANK that also offers rent collection seems over the top to me. i'd rather keep using my small local bank. i also don't keep security deposits because the laws in MA re: how they can be used are so insane that i'd rather just not deal with it. 

Local real estate market dynamics might be different  in different places.

Quote from @Daniel Rabinov: Hello,So I am ready to get going on flipping or BRRRR.The thing is, my local market (Los Angeles) is not a great place to start as entry points are really high for beginners and it's very hard to get good deals here.

To complete my due diligence, I want to get an inspection-does anyone local have a recommendation for a good investment property inspector?

I'm sure you will attract a lot of visitors for the nearby colleges and hospitals.I would reach out to some hard money lender brokers like Sherman Bridge, that will give you access to many different HMLs at once and you can easily compare their rates.A good local HML is Chris Misutka, I will DM you his contact info.Most HMLs can close within 2 weeks but they may require an inspection.

3) Check out some of the local meetups that you can find in this forum!

I would also recommend that you find your local REIA and also attend as many meet ups that revolve around real estate investing and network to build your buyers list and make connections for down the road.Best of luck

i'm not local to you but just came to recommend jamil damji's book 'how to wholesale real estate' - i got a lot out of it!

The property should appraisal for more than what you bought it for, then once that happens are you supposed to go to local bank to get it refinanced and you get money back from the bank if it appraises for more?

For sure you would "technically" need to pull permits for something like that...but this is likely a case where doing that work isn't going to alarm any neighbors or city officials...Being that it's inside your unit and an enclosed porch.Sam is great and so is @Prashanth Mahakali as far as local Chicago architects go.