Who has purchased off-market on 5+ unit MF near Seattle?

[Brian Hughes]

I'm thinking of making an unsolicited offer on a 5+ unit multifamily property in Burien,  WA.   Its about the right size / type / condition for the property I would like to find to upgrade from the duplex I sold in 2019,   and from my research,  it is likely that the ownership are getting to the point in their tenure where selling might be on their minds.

Given the building's likely income/expense numbers  (I own a nearby, similar style/quality property I can extrapolate from) I can make an educated guess to its value and given that value range I can afford it without excess leverage.   I'm already working on the commercial loan pre-approval,   and I have an attorney identified I would work with to prepare / review contracts.   And,  I've purchased RE several times (with an agent) so I know the general process;  I just haven't gone it alone on buying.     (I did sell the Duplex off-market - but there the buyers did most of the work and I basically just had the attorney review everything)

Before I approach the ownership,  I'd like the chance though to talk with somebody who has gone through this process for small commercial scale multifamily properties (5-12 units) on their own.   What worked well,  what professionals helped you,  what were pitfalls,  what did you miss, what would you do differently,  etc.  

Thanks for any thoughts.   Dinner is on me if we meet in person.