However, it is a Cozy Cabin in Urban Los Angeles, which isn't quite the same as being in a ski resort.

Even still, it's very likely they are biased to the seller since that's a pre-existing relationship. 

I personally won't go show property to someone who's going to be financing without first seeing a pre-approval letter from a local lender. 

I don't think too many families log in to AirBNB looking for a beach house or ski condo and end up booking a treehouse shaped like a giant caterpillar, although for some segment of the market I guess that could work. 

My guess is you are referring to a Hud CWCOT auction which is not a Hud auction nut more of a pre-HUD. 

Lots of folks head there for outdoor activities like skiing, hiking, and boating.Occupancy Rates: In 2019, the occupancy rates for vacation rentals in Lake Tahoe were around 60% on average.Rental Rates: Depending on the specific area and season, you could find vacation rentals ranging from $200 to $400 per night .Seasonality: The winter ski season and summer months are when things get really busy in Lake Tahoe, but the shoulder seasons can be slower with lower occupancy rates.Las Vegas Strip (City):Tourism: Las Vegas is a hotspot with over 42 million visitors in 2019.

We used to be able to say give me a GFE-Good Faith Estimate where you could then compare APR which would take into account both rate and fees, but seems like lots of banks and brokers don't like to do this any more until they get a full app in my experience.Had a buyer yesterday shopping same as you and I had given him a lender to try, so he comes back and quotes me a very low rate....but when I checked it had points to pay, so you have to watch that too.At some point you just have to pick one to get your preapproval from....then once you have a property under contract then you can try to shop for a couple of days...depending on how long you have time to close.The other thing you want to figure out....and that is probably where your realtor comes in and maybe title company is who closes on time. 

Currently I am looking at an undeveloped property in upstate NY to buy and use for leisure activities (camping and skiing).

let me tell you one example - I bought this rental in 2021 for $110K, totally renovated with tenant paying $1700/mo.the mortgage was $88K and seller credited sec deposit etc, so I paid st closing only $18K.tenant stop paying, get evicted, I changed the roof (I factored it in the price - it was old), few other things and rented at reasonable $1500/mo.my PI=$426/mo, TI=302/mo and tenants were my old tenants who rented from me before - they like newly updated houses.now, if I sell the house now, the price is at least $150-160k - and it was bought in November 2021 with 4.125% APR ….off course, it doesn’t make sense to sell the cash cow - but if I do, I’ll pay capital gains from $40K,other taxes - after I’m getting cash flow at least $700/mo and tenants pay down my mortgage.if you buy in Midwest for $250K - it’s already doomed deal….what kind of cash flow you’ll get?

Section 125 is a system an employer puts in place for their employees that allows them to play for premiums on a pre-tax basis.