. :)I was looking at a cabin in Red River. 

- Or is it a red flag when someone is consistently offloading brand-new notes at a discount?

m aiming to be in life  I'm making a bold career shift-from working in the restaurant industry to pursuing real estate investing full-time.

Do you think today’s environment favors caution, or is it creating openings for bold plays?

Quote from @V.G Jason: "you're buying barely-desirable property(likely above market rate)"This is a bold assumption and a big dump on his parade.

That, by itself, is a red flag.

I'm blessed to have received an inherited IRA from a deceased family member and i'm thinking taking a full withdrawal to finance the down payment and furnishings of our first property could be the bold move that gets us running.

The best way I’ve found is to:Disclose as much as possible about the property and the borrower early onKeep communication open and consistent with the lenderPay attention to red flags—if a lender goes dark during the process or stops giving clear updates, that’s often a sign the deal is in troubleAt the end of the day, surprises still happen in this business, but having backup options and strong relationships with multiple lenders can make all the difference. 

If you do research ahead of time, what are some red flags that would cause you to back out of a deal or add a couple thousand to the deal cost for legal battles/ cash for keys?

We have properties in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer and Beaumont.