Loan Origination Systems (LOS): What works best for mortgage and private lending?

You would want to look for an owner that has a loan through a bank or credit union or one that has no mortgage. 

Picking up flexible part-time jobs to qualify for a mortgage is definitely a smart move, as conventional lenders typically look for consistent W2 income.

If you can't find existing meetups, create your own by organizing casual gatherings for like-minded investors.

If the structure on the property is determined to have no value, be careful when you consider paying the “value of the land”.The value of raw land is different than the value of land with an existing structure, even if the structure has no value.  

If there are existing aplliances left by former tenants or former owners, my lease says that I'm not responsible for repair or replacement of those appliances. 

The mortgage would be $5,200 so I would cover the other $3,200.

You do not want to lie on an application, that is mortgage fraud.

He tried to do patch work on this one wall with existing paint and it looked like a jigsaw puzzle :)  If you can't touch it up you're using the wrong kind of paint.

Normal mortgage rates are in the high 6's now, for a personal residence, and higher for an investment property.