dont rely on the bank. some banks are more sensitive than others about environmental issues.

That can be more sensitive for spreads and cap rates when interest rates go up.Dollar stores I am not a big fan of.

The bottom line - you can invest at any grade level with the proper procedures/safeguards in place.

I guess I'm a little sensitive to the "this is very very hard to do" thing. 

Then your broker has a fiduciary responsibility to be on your side and should be the one telling you all of the things I listed aboveReal estate contracts are time sensitive, and activity has to be completed on a schedule or the contract becomes null and void.I hope the above helps you.

If there's a hole, it may be a red flag.b) sensitivity analysis: I examine all the assumptions, and make sure I can live with the worst case scenarios.c) "Stall and see": if they are getting money over multiple years, and there is no penalty for investing later, I would usually wait so I get some real performance data, versus having to look at theoretical pro forma information.d) Recession stress test: I will not invest in anything, until I subject it to recession level stress and see if I can live with the result.

For my financing on the house flips I wanted to use a partnerships and private money with good safeguards in place for the private money lender.

I've been listening and reading to a multiplicity of economic pundits regarding national debt, quantitative easing and other such fun things. I'm also currently negotiating several 5-10 year leases on a mixed use prop...

You just need to be sensitive to where the minefields are when raising funds.

Banks that "portfolio", meaning hold onto their loans, are going to be sensitive to interest rate risk, so most banks prefer to keep their terms (the 7 year balloon) at 5 years or less even when they are willing to amortize (the length of time the payments are calculated for...in this case the 20 years) over a longer period of time.