@Elizabeth ColegroveActually I think it has to do more with the qualified buyers pools which seem to be shrinking in North County Coastal San Diego most recently.

Just because this is an off market property dose not mean you shrink on du diligence.

and can be tied to the property longer should the market slow down or even shrink just a little.What might be a sound strategy would be to buy with 25-30% down.

I decided the shrink was right and I made some major changes in my life, including a divorce and - more recently - I parted ways with my employer.  

Add on that the fact that the section is marketed for retired couples, that will shrink your potential pool of buyers.What are you thinking to do with this property?

Mother in law suites shrink your buyers pool - a great asset for someone that is looking for that specific feature  - a deterrent to the other 95% of folk that would prefer not to have it.

Additionally it probably wont be this easy or cheap to buy a house for a long time, because most people believe the overall RE trend has stabilized and is bullish, add to that the fact that money will probably not be cheaper to borrow than it is now for 10-20 years (if ever), and you can see why investors are betting that the new homeowner trend will shrink while the renter trend increases. 

But reserve requirements add up quickly and can ultimately shrink the amount of cash you have to invest.

Just the last two years have seen a 15% growth in local prices, so this margin is shrinking. 

WE still lost millions like anyone else who had a 50 million dollar book of loans in 08 and at risk  :(  was painfulJay,Here's what I never understood about Detroit investing...why were so many investors buying into a shrinking city/population?