Again.... from professionals I haven't met and friends whom I know personally that run their own companies...I am curious, what is your policy on hiring friends (whom own their own companies) to work on your properties?

For that reason, I personally don't buy properties that fall under an HOA.Food for thought!

I appreciate the detailed suggestions and personal experiences you shared.

I personally like white trim, but if everything is in good condition and stained-just keep it.

(This should be cheaper because no personal items are insured.) and then insist the tenant’s get renter’s insurance.

After 1 investment property it's easy to be over your personal DTI ratio and to keep going you'll likely need a small local bank that looks at the debt service coverage and the risk.  

If you can't keep control of your personal finances, you are highly unlikely to succeed in real estate investing.

I recommend networking with other investors and asking for personal recommendations, using companies (not individuals) with strong reviews on Google, etc.

I have personally invested in over 30 individual deals.

From my understanding, the only real concern with taking the latter approach is if the other person on the mortgage/deed is someone that you could potentially not trust.