This new virtual investing seems risky and something that requires skills beyond those of a newbie.

The remaining 80% of agents barely sell 1 house in 2years due to many reasons like lack of commitment to the profession, poor or average skills, improper training, lack of tools and mentorship to be a great agent, etc.At the end of the day, you will always get what you pay for. 

One of my skills is underwriting.

This is a great way for inexperienced borrowers to gain knowledge and skills while also getting access to financing.

I've had wannabes, but nobody bright and determined  enough to beat the system here in Allegheny County seems to want to use their skills just to mooch off me to stay in a C-class apartment.

Try to get a part-time job or internship with firms that deal with real estate or REITs to get real-world skills.

Showing off our skills and track record is important because it shows how valuable we are.Negotiation is a strong skill that helps everyone engaged.

So, its good to manage things yourself if you are able to get deeply involved in those technical issues, have a partner with those skills, or if you were a bigger operation have a project manager of some kind. 4.

I really don't think that applies anymore as the number one advantage of Real Estate is the leverage (it's easy to get money for it).However, You need cash reserves to make sure you stay in business and can keep building (both skills and wealth).To answer the question of BRRR vs Flip - It's all about "do I have enough cash reserves to make sure I'm going to stay in business?"

Don't take advantage of someone's  poor math skills by saying "instead of $600 once a month, pay me $300 every two weeks."