Stay in dallas area and would like to start getting involved, meeting new people and learning more.

I know if there is no agent involved then offerpad charges 4% to 5% in place of the commissions that the agents would normally split in a traditional transaction. 

The economy is to blame but local politics have played a role in the demise of Arecibo as well.I'm not sure how long your most recent visit was or when you are planning your next trip, but I do hope you get a chance to view some of the other " non tourist" areas as you may be pleasantly surprised at the resurgence (albeit gradual) of some of the surrounding towns.I've been a resident here now for the past 4 years and I currently work as  a lender at a local mortgage bank and also am now getting more involved with RE investing here.

Here to help if you have questions as I've been involved in an extremely large volume of short sales and foreclosure avoidance scenarios.

You need time to clean, paint, let the place air out, inspect, etc. anyway.

There is a certain health ratio for restaurants after food and labor costs.You need to figure out what you want the ground rent to be based on all the costs involved and how long you want to hold the property.Generally the longer the primary ground lease the more value it can have for resale unless the tenant want given a sweet heart deal with little to no rental increases.What tenants often want is FLEXIBILITY in termination clauses and short primary terms with options.

However, I decided the best way to start was just jump in and get involved!

For example if you targeted that same absentee, high equity, list, but narrowed it to folks who purchased from 2008-2012, your message could focus on how they can now cash in on their amazing market timing, and how you can help them do that quickly and easily without having to evict tenants, clean the property, hire an agent, etc.

Understand the fees involved and calculate the total cost for an entire year of management so you can compare the different managers.

Just jump in and get involved!