Examine several funding choices, including partnerships, hard money loans, private loans, and traditional mortgages.6.

Traditional custodians do not handle alternative assets that aren't publicly traded.

I've dabbled in traditional real estate since 2009 and investor RE loan products as well as conduct due diligence for private lenders leveraging their cash.

In some current markets where I buy mainly off-market, I'll continue to use those folks and think I have to pay some retainer fee.Option B) Traditionally how I've gone and most my business will continue to go this way.Option C) Formulating one right now, will circle back when it's more concrete. 

My income is really solid, but I don’t know if I a traditional lender will do the work to see it or be confined by Fannie Freddie UW standards

As a traditional long-term rental, these should fetch $2000-$2200/month. 

Anyway, obviously there are some real hustlers out there, and they are not all like that, but I'm not surprised why sellers are not wanting to sell the traditional way.

Likely they will not count STR income but traditional rental values, so there is a loss there. 

Because, yes, they pay for that out of the proceeds of the commission.The fee seems higher because, traditionally, "you are paying for the buyer's agent."

The traditional role of the realtor is evolving, perhaps even facing extinction, as artificial intelligence (AI) and innovative disruption tools emerge.