I have been reading the tiny home magazine for some time.  

., subscribe to the Tierra Grande magazine from the TAMU Real Estate Center.

Now it really is a waiting game primarily because of how the market in Grand Rapids specifically is right now with Forbes Magazine highlighting the city in a recent issue.

==============Depending on what kind of non profit...There are few lenders in that area.Churches get underwritten based on giving units...not profits...and the number of families in a church...and the concentration of the donations by the largest 10% of donors//givers....Risk Magazine just rewrote the guidelines for churches.....and how to underwrite those loans.Non profit schools and hospitals (Charter schools)  get treated differently again....and there are two lenders that will raise money for those based on a private small bond offering...but more expensive than a straight bank loan.Hospitals and  assisted living facilities are treated differently again ....So some more info on the type of NON PROFIT info would help us assist you better....Please find a bank that understands those...as your average banker only understands DSCR and commercial finance is most comfortable with a profit driven enterprise....Non profits get underwritten differentlyI  just completed the loan process for our church for $1.5 million for the land to be followed by a $7 mill construction that I shopped to 3 credit unions and 2 commercial banks...

Middle class New Yorkers moving to Charlotte and other cities in NC and SC to afford a decent sized home for their family.

A decade ago, this company publicized their efforts:http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/200...http://articles.latimes.com/2004/jul/25/realestate...In 2003, I started a similar strategy in Denver, and was able to acquire over 40 homesites in Overland, near the Evans Light Rail Station.  

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_realestate/2009/maps/states.html according to this prediction, my metro (TAMPA) won't hit bottom until Q1 2011. 2011!!!!!!!!!!!

You would have to be pretty dense to think that you could learn everything there is to know about real estate investing at a 3 hour REIA (if you find one, please let me know) or even in 3 days.Warren Buffett (maybe you’ve heard of him, pretty successful guy) said that the best investment he ever made was in training for himself.Darren Hardy, Editor and Publisher of Success Magazine does a daily email with instruction and motivation.

I am a native New Yorker who has relocated to the sunny beaches of the Emerald Coast.

Sounds like you have some cash/assets you've built up, along with great credit, and being a fellow "New Yorker", you're "used to" higher dollar amounts for rents/properties.