The market is funky and condos are usually the first to show signs of weakness.

They now see you as a weak landlord and will walk all over you every chance they get.Please don't make another mistake by housing them for a renovation and then handing them keys to a renovated rental.

The best agents will do fine.. weak ones not so much

I agree with some of the others that this is a pretty weak case.

Even before cat left, the population was flatlining and growth seemed weak.

Some say there are still opportunities in Columbus since it's growing, but I'm unsure if investing with the hope of future appreciation is a good idea when current cash flow is very weak.

That happens if the markets start to get really weak/volatile.

I’m compiling a list of the better ones.Two weaknesses of this approach are 1) lack of diversification and 2) high minimums that typically require $1M in equity.

There are definitely pros and cons to each so I figured I would just lay out a few benefits and personal thoughts: Small banks/brokerages:Pros:- Some regional knowledge of the market- Possibility of more creative lending guidelines with bank specific programs- Sometimes they have competitive rates for their areaCons: - weak balance sheet (more strict on some guidelines, no wiggle room, inability to be flexible or grant exceptions because they cannot afford to hold less than perfect loans)- Can't scale with clients to different markets- Usually limits exposure to individual investors (they don't want one investor to be too big of a portion of their balance sheet)- Lack of experience with multiple solutions (tend to have 2 or 3 loan products they sell and are too niche to provide tailored solutions)Large banks/brokerages:Pros:- Large compliance departments that understand individual market guidelines (typically each state has specific lending guidelines that augment the national baseline)- Ability to scale into multiple markets with same lender (licensed in many states)- Impossible for individual investors to "outgrow" a large bank's balance sheet (not concerned with one investor's concentration)- More lending solutions available for different scenarios- Often comparable or better rates given the game is volume basedCons:- Can be more difficult to get fast responses if the bank/brokerage does not have good follow up systems in place (or if the underwriting/processing staff gets overwhelmed)- Bad large banks can feel less like a relationship and more like a cog in a factory (less personal)Overall, I have worked from both and worked with both as a loan officer, branch manager, and as an investor/client myself. 

SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.