investors to get out there and overpay for properties, thereby denying opportunities to more rational investors?

Rock or Rambo with macho attitudes and lack the ability at times to act rationally.

I think any rational person would just prefer to buy beautiful, pristine homes for pennies on the dollar if given the choice.

In my experience, it's not a rational attitude and the only way you can counteract it is with education.

Deshone: when you say you "have to" buy and move into a new house by June, it doesn't sound rational.

But, having responded without reading what you wrote just doesn't seem rational...and I'm generally pretty rational.As for my response, your post essentiallly said that you stopped doing X and moved forward doing Y.

Remember, you are the middle man for the buyer and seller and the seller only knows about you most of the time .

@Andrew Millard Whenever this topic gets brought up, the same rational for not having an LLC is put forth: 'I've never heard of anyone in my life/on BP who has has gotten sued' That train of thought is a cognitive bias (Anecdotal Fallacy and/or Neglect of Probability).

The IRR is the most important measure for me in the end anyway.But...It can also be used to rationalize a bad purchase or longer  holding costs. 

You pick them dont let them pick you or you will get every jack of all trade, excon, scammer, middleman and mr-fix-it within 100 miles calling looking looking for work.