Hi Evan from Sayville, NY-You asked about whether a lender would pay real estate commissions and closing costs with a short sale.I negotiated a lot of short sales after the Great Financial Crisis.Short sales are similar to dealing with a bank owned property accept the bank is trying to avoid taking it back so the terms, specifically an acceptable purchase price, have to be negotiated.The thing I found that was important to negotiate was the lender agreeing to settle without further recourse for the seller.

The bigger issues that need to be addressed by the operating agreement are how you deal with disagreements. 

We will be in touch as I continue to network and come across deals. 

I have been learning how the process works and there are a lot of resources for how to interview a sponsor and review the deal, but how do you initially access the deals to review?

Another possibility is a cash-out refinance on your dad’s house if it qualifies, which would tie the loan directly to that property.

Dave Meyer shared an informative video today [How to Find Your Perfect First Rental Property (The “Buy Box”)], outlining helpful structure for you to add clarity for your deal.

We don't allow any "deal-making" in the forums, which includes advertising your services or properties, looking for partners, etc.

Also, when evaluating a value-add deal, what are the key factors you prioritize most? 

Do you also offer direct booking?

@Marcus Retter welcome to BP.It's a great community.I've been investing in Albuquerque for 10 years, and you can find some good deals there.Personally, I live in Santa Fe.There are several active Meetups that you can join to get around to other investors.Networking is really important.Get out there and make connections with other investors; that is how I got started.