I just don't want to sit here and spin my wheels in the mud and wait and wait for fate; I'd rather actively do something.My soon to be business partner has worked for remodeling companies and knows a lot of the players in her area and nearby.

I had one client tell me that a well-known direct lender did not provide her any preliminary settlement statement/CD and mentioned that they could not lock in her interest rate/terms until final approval.

Meetups and investor groups have been the best way to separate the real players from the noise.A few things I’ve found helpful when evaluating wholesalers:Attend REIA meetups or local investor events — it’s one of the best ways to meet wholesalers face-to-face and hear who others are actually doing deals with.Look for consistency — regular deal flow with solid photos, comps, and realistic numbers is usually a good sign.Check the numbers — if ARVs are always aggressive or repair costs seem too light, I take that as a red flag.Repeat buyers — if other investors keep buying from the same wholesaler, it usually means they’re delivering value.Just talk to them — hopping on a quick phone call goes a long way.

I bought a 5 mil dollar home that was amount owed from a basketball player ( NBA ) that wells fargo was hammering, it was a massive short sale we got it for about 2.7 but paid cash and closed on it before the end of a reporting quarter less than 2 weeks from contract to close. 

Two of the core benefits that were listed in the original post, rental income and leverage are the often get many in trouble investing in real estate with unrealistic expectations (often C/D properties) and use leverage that quickly puts them under water. 

@Kevin Oh going to guesss you've purchased Class C properties.The issues you are experiencing are common for the correspponding Class C/D tenants that Class C properties attract.Recommend you NEVER sign a lease first!

I have spoken to people that are avid pickleball players and found investors through that network, there are a good number of "lifestyle clubs" like GoBundance, Lifestyle Investor, Tiger21 people have raised money from. 

The macroeconomics are super strong—population growth, job growth, and massive developments like the $26B Intel plant, plus major players like Amazon, Google, Facebook, Honda, LG, Microsoft, and more.

I have connections with the major real estate players in Egypt, so if you are intereted in exploring further, would love to have a chat!

Atlanta is a competitive investment market, and given current interest rates and market conditions, it's extremely difficult to source cash-flowing SFRs unless you're buying distressed or targeting C/D-class neighborhoods.