Also, lots of agents appear to be using ActiveRain as their substitute for a personal blog (which I personally thing is a waste of time as only other agents are on Active Rain reading my posts-although Active Rain does have good search engine penetration).Everything I have read suggests that you drive visitors from your website by all your off-line marketing activities.

Rob Cee, a few thoughts I would like to put down based on some of the due diligence points you have raised.1) All the appraisals, bpos, etc. in the world will not IMHO ever be a sufficient substitute for either you or someone you inherently trust putting your feet on the ground and actually looking at the property and understanding up close exactly what you are funding.

I'm not talking out right fraudulent corners such as substitution of sub-standard materials, I'm talking no extras are going into your project, just good enough becomes more than good enough.  

Your card is better than that but this one might be a substitute for those times during the year when you don't get the 5% back on your Chase Freedom card.

It was sold on the courthouse steps as a foreclosure by a substitute trustee. 

Believe me I have been on both sides of this many many times.. and have built a niche for myself in these smaller loans... but I have to do 10 to 20 a month to make any kind of money vis a vi the risk.plus HML generally don't give 100% of costs you need some cash into it.. so that's why they wanted substitute collateral..

In addition to lis pendens you should consider searching for "substitution of trustee" filings with your local recorders office or register of deeds office, depending on what they call it in your neck of the woods.

Unlike other commodities there is not much “substitution” going on in the laundry room.

There's no substitute for coaching/mentoring and actually doing deals. 

My wife is a substitute teacher and she's basically out of a job until September.