Bottom line being that I bought them with a negative cash flow and with a tremendous amount of equity, but I had a very precise exit strategy in cashing out my equity before the negative cash flow ate my lunch.

A good loan officer will tell you precisely why you were declined and what steps can be taken so that you can be approved in a certain time frame.

Look for opportunities, maybe partnerships, etc.Your question was too board that I think you need to know precisely what you want to do.Real estate investing takes different forms for different people.For some, it is buying single family houses to rent out.

If the central issue is permeability of rentals, a simple inquiry of the Selling agent or a review of the Rules and Regs should answer that question precisely and expeditiously so that you aren't waiting/wasting time and money to inspect and appraise only to find out that there is a rental cap or prohibition.

@Jay Helms lol precisely

It's the EXACT same situation once that tenant moves in, and there's nothing the bank can do, since AFAIK they don't get a say on who I accept as a tenant after I purchase the building.Your right, and that's precisely why an institution doing residential financing will not knowingly go for this scenario.Commercial loans have annual or semi-annual (or every 3 years, etc) checkups on the health of your business.This is one example of why/how vacant residential real estate often sells for more than tenant occupied. 

I am happy to share information and hope I can make it more precise and useful.1) Assumptions:- Home Price, yes this is a list price, and thanks to you I found an issue with listing updates.

It would seem plausible that some of these 5-7% ROI parks will return to the market as distressed sales in the near future, precisely because that return doesn't factor in enough risk and margin for error.

That is precisely what I wish to avoid because I've heard of it happening occasionally with self-directed IRAs when one doesn't plan properly in advance.

I think the reason is precisely one you mentioned - people are far more comfortable with the internet than they used to be and more people than before are looking everywhere for yield.If you can find an apartment complex which makes sense financially I say buy it.