With 200k in the bank (150 invest, 50 travel) we would like to move from just stock investing to RE. 

Detroit is like buying cheap stock from a company that's not doing great but could make a comeback.  

You can buy a stock on a stock market but it's not FDIC secured.

This is why hard money exists and always will, the asset is way more predictable than the person.

With 200k in the bank (150 invest, 50 travel) we would like to move from just stock investing to RE.

You can’t say something that happened 10 years later stalled a prediction.

I still believe that 80% of people looking in notes are not serious buyers as they are looking for “the perfect deal” where they want a heavily discounted note with no hair and no risk and will never end up pulling the trigger and will move on from notes to stock options, Bitcoin or the next big thing in the next 12-24 months.

And that sauce you get if you work on4) CREDIBILITYPut your picture up, remove stock photos, tell them about you, tell them how awesome you are share your self show yourself.5) Get your legal team in place.Get one of those smelly vulture lawyers and make sure they are investor friendly.

If there is no issue, than an agent should not charge you for data...What you have to remember is that you'll be competing with hundreds of agents that focus on this group and have proven systems and predictive analytics to get to these deals first.

I often get good used vinyl windows from Habitat or recyclers.I usually buy and stock pile good used (standard size) vinyl windows when I find them for sale on the inter net.