The point should be to get into contract so somebody else cannot "pinch" your deal.Example of the the gold medal: My 6 unit building, all 1/1's, within 10 min walk to a BART station. 

This makes it very secure [more than wall street] for them.All of my lenders enjoy strong double digit annual returns and only spend a few hours a year [making wire transfers] to realize this profit.Yes, I am biased when it comes to RE or Wall Street - but ponder this and you'll see why:  We all know bankers are some of the most penny pinching individuals on the planet, right?  

Eric NA For your first property I typically advise keeping your expenses low, you're likely pinching pennies to make the deal happen.

I know that I am going to get some judgement here, but anytime I've been in a pinch, whether it personally, or getting a deal done, I've figured out a way to make it happen.

I don't mean the house and neighborhood has to be ideal for me, but in a pinch I could live there and be OK.  

Now here is where I get pinched and wake up to reality.  

This is a renters market.I might just let the competition have those penny pinching, bad credit, complainypants tenants.

But, in a pinch and if you are single, you could have the family trust own the LLC.

But you don't want to feel pinched if it doesn't happen.

Hi Paige-  I certainly have felt the pinch of a razor tight budget in some of my deals, so I understand.