It's crucial to thoroughly analyze the market, property specifics, and your personal goals before making a decision.

What DOES take quite a bit of practice and education is learning about all the other things that are involved in REI  --things like thorough due diligence, understanding value add potentials, understanding tenant demand (or lack of demand), understanding what types of tenants do (and do not) rent certain types of properties, knowing how to screen and manage tenants, understanding how to spot problems at a property before you buy, understanding the costs of maintaining a property, etc., etc. 

Hi Jeff, USMC does a pretty thorough inspection.https://www.youtube.com/watch?

Conduct due diligence: Conduct a thorough inspection of the property to identify any potential issues that could impact its value or require repairs.

@Kevin Lefeuvre I started using SafelyStay for guest verification - for $6.50 they run a thorough background check on the guest.

Pros include steady deal flow and most have a thorough underwriting process.

-Conduct Due Diligence: Analyze potential properties thoroughly, considering income potential, expenses, and location.

@Dan Heuschele Thank you so much for your thorough and thoughtful reply.

A bank will likely have a lower rate than a private lender but their process to obtain a loan is going to be a lot more thorough and a lot more paperwork.A private lender (assuming you are talking an individual) will be easier to qualify for but will probably come with a higher rate. 

Our agent did another more thorough walk through with more videos.