I am also in the process of getting a core 4 together in other markets that have interested me.

@Poem Turner is an agent down there in your area who would be a tremendous addition to your core team.

"Core" stabilized assets are for investors with low risk profiles who want capital preservation and stable predictable cash flow with low risk (versus higher risk alternatives in stocks and bonds...or value add and real estate development).REITS, insurance companies, pension funds, family offices, very high net worth individuals/families who have already made their wealth, etc. 

This also compels them to keep the asking price in line with what the appraisal will be.

Don't buy in the roughest neighborhood in the urban core.

To me this means having a primary residence in the under $1mil range (but doesn't necessarily have to be under $500k).I will still have school aged children and need access to great schools, ideally public to avoid the cost of privateI would still value the ability to access metropolitan environments, though I don't need to live in the urban core. 

So, come up with a compelling enough reason, and you should be fine.  

If you don't have very compelling answers to those two questions the deal will go to one of the other buyers. 

We get along well, he is willing to "self-finance" which is a big part of why the deal would be compelling to me. 

My background is in transportation logistics, so managing tons of moving parts and being ahead of the game is at the core of our business model.