While cap rates have risen, you are still seeing groups buying in the low to mid 5%s for 70's-90's product.  

I've already found this community and the podcasts to be extremely valuable. 

Anyone investing in a product new to them is never going to have perfect knowledge going in; extensive knowledge is accumulated over time, and, well, if you wait for perfect knowledge you’ll never invest.  

If the numbers work, why take a chance on a product that has a balloon payment?

I think this is extreme price gouging, especially since we did not agree to pay that kind of money and if he was expecting that kind of money, he should not have awaited to the very end to tell us.  

Well I believe that the incoming administration will in the first few week find ways to reduce regulation and increase domestic energy production.  

I'd find a mortgage broker who understands your strategy well enough to advise on products designed to help you scale. 

Otherwise, having a conversation with them on how to handle things like this moving forward would be productive in seeing how they respond.

That's an extremely rare opportunity though. 

That is an extremely difficult accomplishment in the near-term.