We spent the last few years cohabiting with other people to save money so we are not interested in house hacking - that being said, if the numbers really makes sense to do this, then we would be open to looking into this again.

Don't think about the money you spent on a home inspection as throwing it away if you do not buy the property due to its condition or revealed findings from a home inspection.

The openers are $128 at box stores, I bought several on sale for $64 a piece.

Here are some recommendations for you:Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area: https://www.biggerpockets.com/search/usersSet up keyword alerts to be notified of the topics that interest you: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsRead Beginner’s Guide: http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investingCheck out BP Podcasts: https://www.biggerpockets.com/podcastIf you wish to tag someone in the conversation on the forum, type @ followed by their name and then select the name of that person which should appear below the comments box.

Be creative and think outside the box.

The hardest part is walking to the mail box and pushing that little red flag up. 

I'm no Realtor but I have spent my whole life here!

And don't overlook FaceTime and Zoom.When I was building a team and needed to find a like-minded property manager, I spent 1/2 hour every lunch hour calling perspective PMs who were listed on the web.

Normally appraisers spend about 10-15 min but he spent about 30 min.

You could also provide a PO box for rent payments for anonymity.