I'm trying to figure out how to position myself in the middle of the deal for the long run.

Dean Suzuki - you don't mention if the person who approached you is the end buyer or someone trying to put together and get a cut of the middle.

The Bigger Pocket's The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Real Estate Investing is great and was one of the first things I read on the site.I'm also in the middle of the Nickerson's How I Turned $1,000 into Five Million in Real Estate in My Spare TimeNext on my list is definitely J Scott's The Book on Flipping Houses and The Book on Estimating Rehab CostsThe rest of the books on the list look great too and I'm excited to read them as well.

I'd let the seller offer to meet me in the middle, or not at all.

All of a sudden real estate prices in the middle stagnate and then fall.

I'd have a repair guy in the middle to make sure credits/repairs are legit.

Our main focus is wholesaling in middle Tennessee, Dallas Tx area, and Tampa Fl area.

I'm in the middle of that one and really like it.

The idea of cutting out the middle man is also an awesome idea to me.

Location: Awesome, right in front of ivy league collage gatesCost:65kRehab for rental: 50k ( it is a mess and needs a lot of work,but after this all major repairs will be done)Rents for: $1200-$1500 monthProperty taxes: $2800/yearProbably pay cash at first and later refiance out.Any insights would be great!