The majority of sponsors back then had 30+ years experience, with 15+ successful exits providing consistent returns to investors, all in the same market not scattered all around in different markets where they wouldn't have the same connections and expertise.

Biggest pain right now is realistic deals; seller expectations are still lagging while labor and holding costs bite.

When you sell it on terms, each payment you collect typically gets split between principal (which just lowers your note balance) and interest (which is the taxable part).I’m not an expert on the accounting side, but I do try to stay open to learning more about these things as they come up, especially as I dig deeper into different parts of the land business.One tool that helps is a simple amortization calculator like Bankrate, it shows how much of each payment is interest vs principal.Also, IRS Publication 537 is a solid starting point for understanding how installment sales get reported.If nothing else, keeping clean notes and setting up a system early makes tax season way less painful and eventually bringing in a CPA who “gets” land notes is well worth it.Here's various resources that could be useful to you...Books (For Foundational Knowledge) 1.

I'm not looking forward to it, it will be painful for a lot of people, but if it happens I'm ready.

Is it fear of rates, not having enough down payment, or just uncertainty about qualifying for financing?

Or is there some tool out there that makes this comparison process less painful that I just haven't discovered yet?

Another thing you can do is ask other landlords who they are using for property management and what are their pain points.

In a slower market we zero-in on as-is homes, inherited properties, and complex seller situations where others may back off.Momentum builds trust.

I called them back and several said they already sold to another investor. 

Sounds like a real pain, totally understand the challenge.