Classifieds posts are basically unlimited for all users. 

Most cost seg firms will give you a free estimate if you share basic property details - no commitment needed.For residential STR properties in the $500k-$1M range, check out room42.io - they're built for this exact use case and the cost is low enough that you can run studies on multiple properties to dial in your estimates without breaking the bank.

I have basically operated your model for the past 10 years with a number of partners.

Once you get a piece of property under contract, then you're outsourcing all of the entitlement work to experts and basically managing that part.  

Basically, you are convincing your inner doubter that you can do it. 

Yes we were successful winning bidding wars 3 months ago using the family postcard technique;) Basically, we added a cute picture of our family along with our offers (which were based on conventional financing) and our “humanity” made us win over the cash offers.

Basically it was a JV type format where they do a fix and flip and find an investor to give them the money for the property = I think they owner financed it as the exit as well (cannot remember). 

This is basically a "subject to" type of transaction.

I signed a very basic promissory note listing the property address, but I don't think it will protect me if something goes sideways.

It’s a smoother way to learn the basics of managing a rental without the severe headaches of a full BRRRR right out of the gate.