The job poster can then interview the candidates, see their qualifications, and compare bids. 

GonzalezWelcome.Check out the free BiggerPockets Podcast - A weekly podcast with interviews and a ton of great advice.

Is there anyone here that can point us in the direction of a local operator that we can interview?

I have interviewed with a couple of places but I am undecided.  

I bill hourly as a consultant and have offloaded some my accounts to allow me to beat the pavement, interview, and network, which I've been doing pretty heavily for the past couple of weeks, otherwise, with the way I work (nonstop), this jump will never happen.Thoughts on being able to use a sizable down payment to supplement reduction in income?  

I would suggest that you interview several Realtors and ask them the following questions, to ascertain if they are truly Investor Friendly, or if they are throwing you a sales pitch. 1.

@Ulises RodriguezWelcome you are in a good area for opportunities.Check out the Start Here page http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere Check out BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginner's Guide - A fantastic free book that walks through many of the key topics of real estate investing.Check out the free BiggerPockets Podcast - A weekly podcast with interviews and a ton of great advice.

I would also gladly vouch for her honesty, and she values her reputation more than she values money.She's at least worth a conversation as you are interviewing prospects.Amesha has her own brokerage, affiliated with Keller Williams:Mason & Associateshttp://www.ameshamason.com/

And, yep, @J Scott's podcast interview was great.

I don't live in Florida, so I interviewed some RE Agents and two them stood out to me.