That was the biggest motivation to post it, and this was the most recent story I could recall.

These are not risky loans, by any means in my mind.

With that in mind, you should have a decade or more perspective when you buy.

I would stay long enough for the 2 years so you quaify nothing is going to happen in the next year or so.. that tax free money is the best thing we have going in the US in my mind. then U could buy some very safe first trust deeds and make 4 to 6K a month NET NET NET without any of the TTTs..

That will be the main issue in my mind. 

One big thing to keep in mind is that Daytona Beach itself is not very STR friendly.

It’s great to hear your perspective on appreciation versus cash flow—it’s something I’ll keep in mind as I refine my strategy.You mentioned local meetups in Northern New Jersey—do you (or anyone here) know of any good ones closer to Somerset or Middlesex counties?

Keep in mind, you are NOT in charge!  

Pretty much everything I have seen and read is:Find out the sellers motivation/problem and speak to solving that issue.Give an offer but explain how you got your numbers.Other than that, it seems pretty limited for negotiating information. 

Do you mind sharing the benefits of using a hard money loan as opposed to private money?