A term that I lovingly call 'close-ability'Every lender goes through seasons where they don't communicate as well as they could, or seem to be losing momentum, or even throw out more than normal conditions (especially when hiring new Underwriters).

Property Condition & Amenities: it’s important to, “Maintain to the Neighborhood.”Key metrics for each Property Class:Class A Properties:Tenant Pool: Majority of FICO scores 680+, no convictions/evictions in last 7 years.Tenant Default: 0-5% probability of eviction or early lease termination.Section 8: Class A rents are too high and won’t be approved.Vacancies: 5-10%, depending on market conditions.Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, 3-5 years for positive cashflow, but you get highest relative rent & value appreciation.Class B Properties:Tenant Pool: Majority of FICO scores 620-680, some blemishes, no convictions/evictions in last 5 years.Tenant Default: 5-10% probability of eviction or early lease termination.Vacancies: 10-15%, depending on market conditions.Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, 1-3 years for positive cashflow, balanced amounts of relative rent & value appreciation.Section 8: Class B rents are usually too high for the Section 8 program.Class C Properties:Tenant Pool: Majority of FICO scores 560-620, many blemishes, but should have no convictions/evictions in last 3 years.

Quote from @Harvey McMurray: Working through an infill lot opportunity in Spartanburg SC with utilities at street, no HOA, and strong new-build comps in the $260k+ range.For those who work with builders or who wholesale land regularly, how do they typically evaluate:• Lot size• Utility availability• Comps• Dirt condition• Entry priceI shared the full situation in my Classifieds post per BP rules.Just trying to understand how builders in that area run their numbers.

Russell sourced the deal through direct outreach and secured it at a price that aligned with its condition at the time.

Buy in a market with consistent historical appreciation—typically where there’s limited housing supply, population growth, job creation, good weather, and proximity to a major airport.

I also think it’s funny folks have such a dichotomy of a viewpoint when there is nothing but fluidity within real estate.I think chasing both at the same time can feel impossible when you’re buying retail, competing with multiple offers, and praying the spreadsheet survives real-world conditions.

Depends on the condition of the place

As in all things in life (like choosing a spouse)for instance, it's incumbent upon us to examine our individual personalities regarding whether a proposed partnership would be a good fit or a disaster in waiting.In 2007, when I lost more than $130,000 in the stock market,I learnt a permanent lesson that stuck with me till today.I discovered that I was a control freak.I needed to always know how my actions directly related to my results, and most often like to retain the ability to change my mind even if others would find such reversal a stupid idea.Seeing how much control I didn't have on how my stocks performed in 2008 despite all the information I had consumed for several months regarding value investing and how to analyze a company's fundamentals scarred me for life.It made a real estate investor out of me.The safety and assurance that I was taking sole responsibility for the calls i made and the risks I decided to take was a calming refuge.Having been a Pro-member on BiggerPockets for as long as I've been has its perks.It gives one a front row seat to see in slow motion the interesting evolution of the component parts that make up this mammoth industry.I watched in amusement as one member arrived as a total newbie in 2018 with a welcome post, voraciously consuming unsolicited counsel on the member forums for a few months and then posted a "success story" of his deals after 6 months.Within a year, he had his own podcast and is now buying large apartments as a syndicator pooling investors' money.To be clear, this is not a hate post.I certainly do not begrudge people "crushing it" in record time.Nonetheless, as a 'senior' member of this community who has seen this movie before,I do feel a lonely cautionary voice in the wilderness is needed at this point.We are in an environment of unprecedented cap rate compression and record low interest rates which is only headed in one direction after this is all over.Yes, make no mistake, the music will soon stop.That has very little to do with an upcoming election and is regardless of who wins the White House or who controls congress after November.If you've listened to Kevin Bupp and Rod Khleif, you know what happened to their portfolios in 2008.These were no amateurs, as a matter of fact, they had many years of investment experience when the music stopped.They both weathered the storm and came back stronger and that is why I remain a shameless fan of both men till today.Several others were not that lucky, and you will never hear their names.In this space today, there are investors and there are educators.The educators have taken over the habitat.That is why there are now more podcasts on real estate than I can get through in a working week.Real Estate education is so very lucrative now that it is possible to make way more money from podcasts and books than in actual real estate investment for some gifted marketers with smooth tongues and gifted content creators.We are in the information age after all, and youtube millionaires are now perhaps outpacing patient real estate buy and hold landlords in the passive income/ cash flow game.Belonging to a $25,000/year mastermind and attending a syndication bootcamp does not insulate anyone from catastrophe.

Some approaches I’ve been seeing:Finding better deals due to less competitionPivoting from flips to long-term rentalsHolding properties longer than originally plannedOffering seller financing to make deals workI’d love to hear from seasoned investors: What strategies are you using to navigate these conditions? 

They may have options that would provide coverage with conditions, maybe restricted water loss payouts, higher deductibles, or require water shut-off devices installed.