I live and build in Boise and shake my head almost daily at what people are doing here with purchase prices when there are plenty of other options in other product type available in the Boise market. 

Your best bet, if you desire a real person out in front of you that you can shake hands with and pose questions to, would be to attend a meeting at any of your local real estate investment associations (or REIAs).

My crystal ball is a bit foggy about how all that will shake out.3) Most of your comments relate to the 1-4 unit market. 4) Price to income - affordability is impacting the market but I don't see it creating a crash.

No doubt on BP you can find discussions or podcasts about working with agents as an investor - definitely respect their time, help out as much as you can with shaking the bushes to find deals etc..... they stand to earn multiple commissions with you but on the other hand, you're asking them to spend their valuable time finding stuff in the hopes that you go forward and can close on something.

I can't shake the memory of that ammonia smell...There was no convincing him. 

The sellers then shake their head with a smile, and we discuss that if they instruct me as such, then I don't need to present offers under $x no matter what the terms are.

Shake with your left hand (cover letter) while getting stabbed in the back with your right (the offer).From what you've said about the seller's realtor you're putting a lot of thought into an offer that will almost certainly get rejected.

That's not going to be easy either, you're going to have to get out there and shake a few hands with people who have good deals to sell. 

After the bank confirms your funds are in escrow, they will know not only do you have the cash but that you are a power player who doesn't waste time in making things happen.To up your game a notch, deliver the offer in person to the manager of the bank and shake his/her hand, look them right in the eye and use Jedi mind tricks to convince them you are the real deal. 

We bet heavily on infill in Indy and have a few million closing in May so will see how those shake out P and L wise..