Start by talking with every one of your local banks and CUs to see what products they offer, @Angela Clark.

A lot of forum members are very knowledgeable in their respective fields related to real estate investing, whether that is real estate sales, wholesaling, flipping, rentals, lending, self-directed IRA and Solo 401k investing, or tax and legal guidance.Discounts on some products and services are offered to BP members: https://www.biggerpockets.com/perks/proIf you haven’t been to it already, you might want to check out the BP blog: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/The site has quite a few tools that can be helpful for new members.

However, if you have an experienced lender that understands minimum property conditions necessary to close the transaction (and also has the products available), you may be able to utilize conventional financing to purchase a neglected property that others overlooked. 

How they actually manifest themselves depends on the nature of the downturn.

The biggest reason we have not offered a fund, is the competitive nature of the market we are in doesn’t allow us to purchase a lot of assets, unless we are aggressive.

Don't just assume that product will be available or that you'll qualify.Always verify the numbers from Redfin/Trulia/Zillow.

By offering a superior product, competitively priced you can get more than your share of occupancy.

Have both options available and using the best product to much your underwriting goals is key.

@James Gleeson broker relationships are good and one piece of the puzzle but there are hundreds of brokers who already have their primary buyers for this kind of product of which there are many (buyers).

Naturally, if you are looking at a smaller building (residential or 5-10 unit) you will need less time than if you are examining a 50-unit building to cover both the physical building and, examine leases, gather estoppels, etc.Environmental Assessments (EAs) are a fairly common ask of lenders and, at times, insurance providers when transacting commercial properties.