With nobody able to see the unit in person, I had no competition negotiating and was able to get the house for over 20% under asking whereas it should have sold for full asking or slightly over on the open market.

Lenders that specialize in this property type area are reasonably competitive.

You could even let them double end the deal for 5% commission because you’re taking out the competition so there’s no chance of a bidding war.2.

The deal was valued based on a recent sale of the local Holiday Inn, (only real competition for us) which also needed to undergo renovation.

The partner in question has multiple times the loan amount in his bank accounts/liquid assets.You should definitely be able to find other options with more competitive terms.

Even then, there is still a lot of competition for deals.

However, your situation—having a full VA loan, ample savings, and a pre-approval in a competitive range—puts you in a strong position to navigate these challenges.Given your circumstances and goals, buying a home could indeed be a way to build equity for yourself rather than paying rent that contributes to someone else's mortgage.

You will find many PM's who charge significantly less, and you will need to figure what your competitive advantage is.

It's definitely harder to find deals today given lower inventory and lots of competition.

The deal was valued based on a recent sale of the local Holiday Inn, (only real competition for us) which also needed to undergo renovation.