Jimmy, in Phoenix the most effective approach is to start with county public records for notices of default and pre-foreclosure filings.

If IRS will assume you took depreciation, why keep records?  

Publishing criteria (like “3x rent income” or “650+ credit”) is fine, but it can open you up to unnecessary back-and-forth or legal gray areas if phrased wrong.Best practice:Keep your criteria written down internally (income, credit, rental history, etc.).Apply those same standards to every applicant and keep a record of your process.When someone inquires, you can share your criteria in writing or over email so everyone gets the same info — that’s what shows consistency.If you want, I can share a quick example of a fair housing–friendly screening checklist I use with my clients, just message me and I’ll send it over.

The main drawback is limited track record—the sponsors started in 2019 and have less than 10 years of direct real estate experience, with backgrounds in non-RE fields prior.Based on this, my current criteria for sponsors I’d consider investing with are:Focus on 1–2 regionsFocus on one asset classHave 10+ years of direct real estate investing experiencePrimarily dedicated to running investments (vs. running podcasts/courses/events)Appropriate amount of capital raised / projects going on in a given year.My question to the community:Are these the right criteria to evaluate sponsors, or am I missing key factors?

Great question — building a solid cash buyer list is a big part of consistency in wholesaling.A lot of investors I work with in Florida use a mix of strategies like public records searches, connecting with active flippers, and networking with agents who work distressed properties or investment-focused deals.I’ve also seen that quality matters more than quantity — a smaller list of serious buyers tends to outperform a large list of inactive contacts.If you're still active in Tampa, happy to connect and compare criteria.

Every HOA operates by its own recorded documents.

It has to recorded in public record to get the mortgage lien lifted.

Since we want to be conservative with our underwriting, we found the county’s Property Tax Estimator tool: https://cuyahogacounty.gov/fiscal-officer/departments/budget...Our current thought process:-Look up the correct tax district and current value from county records-Enter the property’s purchase price as the new market value in the estimator-Use the 2026 estimated tax amount for deal analysis, since that’s likely closer to where taxes will eventually adjustFor those of you investing in Cleveland:-Does this approach make sense?

If refinancing is tricky with your current bank, you might explore portfolio or private lenders who consider your full track record and rehabs, or a cash-out refi elsewhere to free up funds for the next project.

PE often wants scale, track record, and systems; many first deals pencil faster with private lenders or JV partners you already know.