There’s been a noticeable increase in listings that sit, get withdrawn, or expire, which has created opportunities to re-engage sellers with better pricing or terms.Georgia’s landlord-friendly environment helps... insurance, taxes, and property condition matter a lot more now than they did a few years ago.Property management is a big differentiator here.

The 70% rule is still my anchor, but honestly, the real differentiator is how conservative your rehab and timeline estimates are.

That’s been the most consistent approach for me and for the investors I support.So my strategy is a bit different: I usually source the deals first, then decide whether it makes sense to keep it as a rental or pass it to another investor.Always open to hearing how others structure their deals though!

This gradual loan paydown builds equity through long-term leverage (often at fixed rates), which is fundamentally different from margin-based investing.That long-term leverage is one of the most powerful return drivers in direct real estate ownership.4) Tax savings: I am not a tax advisor, so please don't use this as tax advice, but taxes are a meaningful differentiator. 

Negative cash flow clearly does not scare me.My situation was different.  

But we're all different.

+95% of agents only have experience dealing with owner-occupied transactions - which are mostly EMOTIONAL decision based.These agents will NOT find you “deals”, just pretty houses on the MLS☹They are really just, “commission-friendly”, looking for a payday.An investor wants an agent that sticks to logical numbers like ROI, Cash-on-Cash, etc.You can differentiate between these different types of agents easily by asking them:1) If they are RE investors themselves.

Both of my first properties were 3.5 and 5% down and after bumping the value through some updates and rehab i was able to refinance with 20% equity on both.2 - All areas are different, i would assume about 3%ish for closing costs but that is a good question for lenders in your area.

Regardless of market, the biggest differentiator tends to be ZIP-level selection and property management quality, not just city-wide stats.

I've heard from some who swung for the fences because that's how they presented projected returns that differentiated them from other investment opportunities, others were in the business of transacting and had to find deals that could work to  keep the lights on and keep the fee machine running, others struggled to raise equity and were forced into higher leverage debt to fill the capital stack along with a ton of other reasons why a sponsor may have elected to go with the riskier debt structures.