I plan to set up a regular Toronto meet up for Canadians investing (or interested in investing) in the US. 

I haven't found deals that are any better than what I can get from the regular carriers; I am in Tennessee. 

Apparently Keller Williams Agency has a relationship with MyOutDesk so the VA's do have some real estate exposure through the course of their regular work, vs. having to train them from the ground up.

Plus real estate is a people business and each repeat interaction will strengthen your rapport with the 'gatekeepers' of the golden lists!

Looking forward to interacting with everyone!

Track everything you do and view that regularly so you can tell what you can do to earn more income and reduce expenses.

I've been getting into the habit of watching podcasts & reading blog posts on a regular basis.I'm still very green and it won't be a for a few years before I actually decide to start my real estate investing journey.  

I'm almost considering option 3, just put a regular door lock that I then replace it before closing (leaving it clear to buyers that the lock is NOT included).

It's a world of difference interacting with my current broker vs the brokers I mentioned in this post.

I do all of our marketing in office, I own a call center that takes calls for other investors, and I regularly close/am involved in deals.