Or I could choose a big name with potentially more sophisticated services for rent payment and broader availability.

But potentially least interesting to a sophisticated lender.  

Alex - not sure what your perception of good is, but I personally like and invest in Valhalla - just purchased a duplex at 83rd/Villard this month.It's not super sexy and imo won't see great appreciation, but it's much more solid with less crime than the other NW neighborhoods and cashflow is great.  

In (b), the investor must have a preexisting relationship with a sponsor AND be sophisticated or accredited; even the foolish relatives. 

My perception is that it's getting super competitive everywhere, particularly on the MLS, and that you really need to hustle to get a great deal.

Today's market demands a greater sophistication as the industry has become more standardized, and when a market goes through a change like this their will be proffessionals to fill the void.

I agree, there have been numerous posts lately about finding syndication investments for sophisticated investors.

http://www.freddiemac.com/multifamily/pdf/mf_renter_profile.pdf

IN EVERY CASE, MONEY WAS LOST WHEN THE VICTIM WIRED MONEY TO A STRANGE ACCOUNT NAME.Though even sophisticated buyers are falling for this, if you are selling property, I hope you are warning all of your buyers.

Which means it'll be hard to shop by "listing agent sucks at their job," since online reviews only tell you the consumer perception about how good someone is at their job, which is only vaguely correlated with how good they actually are.