The company's leadership must have "skin in the game."

Sometimes you just have to think, would I trust someone with $500k with no skin in the game or history to show that they will repay me? 

PetePros:You lock in your own housing cost and start building equity.If your job situation changes, you could convert it to a rental later.Florida still has solid long-term appreciation potential.Cons:With your budget, you’ll likely get limited cash flow - and might even go negative after taxes, insurance, and maintenance.If you move, managing or selling could get tricky.This route makes sense if you’re certain you want to stay in the area long-term or you find a home that could double as a strong rental later.Option 2: Keep renting and invest out of stateThis is the path many people take when local markets don’t make financial sense.With $100K, you could easily get into a few cash-flowing rentals in affordable markets - like Memphis, TN, where I’m based.Here, homes in solid working-class neighborhoods still trade in the $100K–$150K range, and rents often fall between $1,100–$1,400/month, leaving healthy margins even after property management and expenses.If your goal is to start building a rental portfolio, investing out of state now might actually accelerate your path to financial freedom more than locking all your money into an expensive primary home. 

Because a million dead Ukrainians so Ukraine can become a NATO country on the border of Russia (just like America would be totally cool with Russia or China having a military alliance with Mexico totally reasonable), illegal immigrants welcomed by businesses and their paid for politicians to push labor costs down at the expense of poor Americans, and forcing kids and healthy people to take vaccines that don't work is totally not a scam.

@Erik Roth - Your point on a lender justifiably wanting the borrower to have decent credit and some skin-in-the-game is valid - and nothing in my comment suggested otherwise.

Bottom line is I'm a bit wary of getting into this again and would really need to be sure that the first lien positions were solid, the borrower had enough skin in the game and the property was in an area where resale or rental would not be problematic in the event I had to foreclose. 

It can be "little" down or "someone else's money down" but don't make the mistake of thinking you don't have to have some skin in the game.

I also want high skin in the game, conservative leverage and reasonable fees.Open-door isn't a match for me (and an easy "no") because they don't have that type of experience.

preforeclosures, probate, tax sales, etc. tons of different ways to skin the cat. 

A healthy 50 year today is expected to live to 90.