Both of the conventional routes should produce a decent cash flow.

Those funds can go very far and produce excellent returns in some parts of the country.

They gave me a price (around $1,100), but said that my SELLER would also have to get an attorney , so that he can produce a deed for me.

In CA, the UC systems produces the more theoretical types for engineering, comp sci, physics and math, while the CSU system produces the more practical hands on types, more labs, senior projects, less theory, more practical problems in class...you can get good employees from either system.

It's rudimentary and kind of inefficient, but seems to produce the most results.

Another benefit to working for the direct lender is that they did A LOT of radio advertising, and as a result I was able to speak with as many as 10 new potential clients each day and I became a top producer and performed a career's worth of loans in the span of a few years.

Lots of "investors" say stuff just like this but cannot produce the bank statement.You say:I am not trying to wholesale the properties I call about, I have a experienced investor willing to do it with me if I find the deal.Sorry, but what you're doing is a lot closer to bird dogging or wholesaling than actually buying.

Here's a general question, How much does Innovation and Automation go into Rehabbing and or Fix/Flip?

It is a tough market but if you produce a good product you can make good money.

If the property is a house, duplex, triplex, fourplex (some say anything under 10 units is a plex) it's value will be determined by comps and therefore isn't an income property that running numbers on will produce anything meaningful.