Wholesalers, yellow letters, bandit signs, guerrilla marketing, website with seo/blogs, vehicle signage, shirts, bumper stickers, business cards, door knocking, networking, realtors, TV, radio, and other things I'm forgetting.I agree with Mathew that contracting also scales and supplements your business.

I'll be satisfied with cash-flow positive properties, and low-cost fixed rate debt.Real estate has always been the investment vehicle of choice, and will reasonably so continue to be.

We always used state farm for our flips as I have many other properties and vehicles insured there.

All of my tenants have nicer vehicles than me lol.

After reading these forums, and countless people confessing lending is a secure vehicle to success.

I look for evidence of tenancy, such as receiving mail at the property, vehicles parked nearby (day & night), visitor present when the tenant is not, personal items kept at the residence like a lot of clothing and toiletries, etc.

Is there a way to purchase equipment, vehicles etc. and write a portion of the cost off?

It's just a "vehicle" your cash rides in and out of your deals. 

Before I simply "get an estimate" for Allstate, the insurance company for the vehicle that hit our home, should I get an attorney involved?

I also plan on starting an LLC for liability purposes and to use it as a vehicle to a small business Loan to further my REI portfolio in a few years.