The flexibility, speed, and personalized approach make private money lending a go-to for real estate investors, especially for projects that require quick decisions or more creative solutions.

Quote from @Chris Rich: Depends on your approach - cash flow or appreciation.

Quote from @Carlos Ptriawan: totally agree, key point is don't lose money by not having complete understanding of future risk.we're in the great collapse of CRE market and LP is destroyed because the passive investor is the dumb money, time is important but not to lose money is incredibly even more important , the total collapse in many commercial real estate sector is way beyond 2008 as it seems.Carlos, where are you seeing that "we're in the great collapse of the CRE market" ?

Most municipalities have different mix-use categories which dictate the precise commercial use that's allowed.A few additional observations on mix-use assets and how I approach them (1) they are generally more difficult to finance than multi-family assets so expect lower leverage terms even if the property performs just as well if not better than a multi-family property and therefore price this into your acquisition (2) I focus on mix-use assets where at least 80% of the income is generated through the residential component.

I would appreciate input from the BP community as to the best way to approach this from a financial and tax perspective.  

Some investors and agents talk about off-plan opportunities as if they’re an easy route to massive returns, but the reality is that it’s far more complex.Buying off-plan can be incredibly rewarding, but it requires doing your homework, understanding market trends, and knowing which developers are truly reputable.

Delays are typically caused by previous landlords or employers who don't respond to our requests for verification.Logical, perfectly sensible approach.

Having said that, another BiggerPockets member has discovered some new information that I find to be incredibly important information.

Overall it makes you a better property manager controlling your utility and the bills with it.https://remforce.com/base-boiler-kit/Lastly, I take this approach because actually metering people doesn't work for me in my business planning or this neighborhood and clientele.

My approach doesn't require any special expertise in trades to make the estimates only that you are honest with yourself about your estimates.