Some times you an go 5% borrower contribution, but 10% will open up more avenues for you. 

They charge $2,500.00 upfront fee once the initial loan agreement has been signed by the borrower.

If we skip a 1031 our accountant tells us we'll owe $180K in boot taxes.We are thinking about paying down our loan balance  prior to closing; the 1031 would allow us to borrow less money..... even so, looking at rental properties of various sizes, with 40% down on a 6.99 30 year, we're seeing a few COC's  in the 4-5% range.   

For lenders: what are you doing differently now in terms of collateral, terms, or borrower selection?

For those who’ve borrowed multiple times, what’s one thing you wish lenders or brokers did better during the process?

Or borrow the down payment or do hard money and then refinance into a longer term loan product?

I don't agree with not having skin in the game.You are borrowing other people's money to get involved in real estate or oil and gas.If you don't pay the note, they will take the property / investment away.

Does anyone here have any experience, either as a borrower or a lender, in a HELOC on an NYC Co-Op?

Across the deals we fund, most borrowers end up around 15–20% cash-to-close on a typical flip.

In this strategy the investor may borrow private money to purchase the property at X%, then seller finance at a rate X+% along with getting a downpayment on the home.