To thrive in real estate investing, you must maintain a firm grip on your finances.

@Jorge Vazquez we stopped doing signs over 10 years ago.We had a separate phone number on our signs, so were able to track traffic & applications from them.We were getting more & BETTER leads from our online ads then the signs - so an easy choice to stop using them (also time & money savings).

Some have done owner financing with an agreement to pay all interest and equity splits when the home sells others have done it where they do a quitclaim adding their name onto title with the seller so once rehab is done the seller can't try and cut you out of the deal. 

To thrive in real estate investing, you must maintain a firm grip on your finances.

My only concern to look out for is that things can go 'rural' pretty quickly if you start venturing outside of town, and most lenders are going to put the brakes on financing if the appraisal lists the property as 'rural' (has to do with what they perceive as the availability of future tenants).Watertown, NY - It probably is as good as you believe, but the lending licensing is pretty tricky up there, so its just  bit more difficult to find lenders that operate up there.

Sellers of commercial property will be savvy to Seller Financing.

As already mentioned, you could sell via seller financing to lower AGI, as all you would have to claim is the payment income - until balloon payment received.Did know an investor that had 14 properties paid off and he moved into one every two years to then sell with the $250k single exemption.

It seems that the councils who manage the planning process are very heavily over-worked and hence behind on planning applications. 

Private Money or Hard Money LoanHow it works: Short-term loans from private or hard money lenders to purchase the lot and finance the construction.Benefits: Easier approval and faster processing, focusing on the property value rather than your income.Downside: Higher interest rates and shorter loan terms (typically 6-18 months).

Despite the guru fed “misinformation” about all these under market price deals, they are actually very rare and require (1) the investor recognizing value that the seller and the rest of the market misses or (2) a seller with a need for an immediate sale and a buyer with the CASH immediately available to conclude a very quick closing usually forgoing inspections, financing, and other contingencies.