If the lender ordering the appraisal has direct contact, they may say "I'm looking for about $X"  or "I think this property is more/less valuable than most in the area".  

I will be pursing this a full time endeavor.Currently I have no personal real estate experience, however, I am reading every book/blog I can find and very actively seeking as much knowledge as I can through other's experiences.A little info on my current situation and a request for some guidance from those of you who can offer a little direction for starting out here...I'm 25 years old and I'm an officer in the Marine Corps.

I just love it when fellow BP'ers jump in and offer valuable information!

I am looking for guidance on how to get started or just to pick someone's brain or just help them out to learn via osmosis.

Screening should give back court records, but his approach is worth checking in to, though it's likely more relevant/valuable for lower grade areas.

Jay,Thank you for the valuable information.

I just learned so much in such short time :) Thanks everyone and thank you BP for providing a place where good people can share valuable information!

Any guidance is appreciated.

I rate this is my best bet in getting finance, and possibly some guidance on whether the deal is good or not, considering an experienced lender in RE won't finance a deal that looks dodgy.Why do you say I need a LLC to close with a HML?

We have a great mentor/mentee relationship; I don't want to alienate one of my most valuable connections by asking for money, and I know he doesn't care about investment return, etc - he would just be doing it as a favor to me.