followed by some random phone number.

Picked up a triplex with some modest cash flow, and have been self-managing it since then (it's just a few miles from our house). 

Good luck with your license and really vet the brokerages before you pick one.

Pick the top 5 and call them.

This stuff obviously doesn't need a well trained eye to pick up on.Maybe you don't have your own attorney but just going with the agents guy that is probably just someone that they find easy to work with as they churn out vanilla bank financed closings is not a great one for an investor.Finally I could not follow where you were getting some of those numbers, but I will almost guarantee that you are over estimating your profit even if you were to hit your original repair budget.All that being said you didn't say that you waived the financing contingency.  

I know it probably doesn't help ease the pain but many, many other people will benefit from your insight and you may even pick up some valuable feedback from the more experienced folks on here that will help you on the next one.  

Goal - purchase houses to make more moneyhow to get there - do whatever it takes. even if it's working on the house after kids go to bed until 3am and pick up materials at 6am. save every penny you can until you can afford to hire it out.the end.

Unfortunately this has happened once before and I'm beginning to think they can pick me out among the crowd.

I was fortunate to pick up a decent deal on a nice townhome in Fairfax in 2011 that has appreciated 20% since.

You may be surprised who will pick up the phone.