Here are some general guidelines: Lien Position1st Position LienEquityMinimum Down Payment of 20-25% (a 30% equity to sale price is preferred)Down Payment made in certified funds and not borrowedMaximum Funding of 70% ITV (Investment to Value)SeasoningMinimum of two monthly payments already made12 months or more preferredPayer CreditCredit Score of 650 or higherNo major derogatory trade lines (No 90-180+ days delinquent, foreclosure, repossession, bankruptcy, etc.)No decline in credit since purchase of businessTermsPrefer 60 months or lessMaximum of 72 monthsNo Balloon Payment preferredCash FlowBusiness has positive cash flow1.25 debt service coverage ratio preferred.DocumentationPersonal guarantee from a creditworthy individualStandard documents including Note, Security Agreement, and UCC-1 filing.Tax Returns on the business that substantiate profit and loss statements.OtherPayment history current and verifiablePayer Interview indicating buyer is satisfied with business and comfortable making paymentsMotivation for selling the note is not a result of a deteriorating businessConsideration of high risk businesses or geographic areasIn these situations, sometimes a partial is a better option. 

Since most people who are not actively seeking a sale are not motivated to sell at anything other than a top of the line price, this is going to be a numbers game of x thousands of contacts for every potentially doable deal.  

At the end of the day we can screen our tenants all we want, but cannot control what people do.  

Some people need 2% above the borrowing cost (8% cost of hELOC you gotta then make 10% + etc) and others will want to double their cost of capital or 200% so it depends.Everyone's going to give you their anecdotal experience or what their preferences are so its good to hear it all and determine your own.

This comes from several data points, the first being the average age at which people are choosing to stop renting and buy their first home.

Sears, same story, go back some years and ask a "stock expert" the risks of investing in Sears and they'd laugh at you for such a "dumb question".....   

So, you can do a land contract for 12 months, which should allow lender to credit you full value of the land vs the purchase price, but the loan will pay off the land contract, so the lender maintains first lien position.Can't help you with the rest of your question, but you should be able to search for "CPA" here on BP to find experts to reach out to.

A 1031 exchange allows you to defer taxes by exchanging real property held for productive use in a trade or business or for investment for other real property of like kind, which is also to be held for similar purposes.

We exclusively travel during non-peak seasons, so we would be looking to rent out completely during busy/peak seasons, and would stay at the place during slow seasonsQuestions for the experts out there:1. which development(s) tends to be the best for ROI/have the best occupancy rates?

Some people will say, "Take out a quality Insurance Policy and you will be protected."