Do you really need a local lender?
Most investors, bankers, and real estate agents I talk to adamantly argue that you should use a local lender for your real estate deals, but their arguments tend to be things like they know the market and you can meet with them face-to-face. Most of my lenders I've never actually met face-to-face, and I know my market pretty well on my own. Are there other benefits that I don't know about? The online lenders appear to offer significantly better trates.