As a broker, I "buy" a mortgage at a discount from a direct wholesale lender, then mark it up and "sell" it to my client to make a profit.

Points, often referred to as discount points, are upfront fees paid directly to the lender at closing in exchange for a reduced interest rate on your mortgage.In a hard money loan, closing costs typically range from 2% to 5% of the loan amount, similar to traditional loans.

Professional PMs use specialized tools to verify income directly with a tenant’s bank or payroll service, ensuring legitimacy.

When a PM does charge a markup, he's usually getting a discount on the service to keep the cost stable.

If you haven’t already, consult with an attorney who specializes in landlord-tenant law in Texas(sorry I have no recommendations here).

I specialize in STR & Co-living concepts, which I recommend for the highest rental income potential! 

-- solid strategy as well, if you go this route I would consider investing with an operator that specializes in this asset class.

And, FMV on 1/6/25 is not FMV today because now you don't have a lot in an established neighborhood, you have a lot in a disaster area which comes with the challenges I listed above.We built about three dozen "fire lot" homes after our fire--all lots acquired off MLS or from owners that came to us (we didn't market for lots), and not at a price that anyone would call a "discount". 

I think that a Short Sale would be the best option to get some discounts/concessions from the lender - however you would need to have a knowledgable Short Sale agent on the seller side.

You just have to make sure you're using someone that actually knows what they are doing and not someone that throws it to a lender that specializes in Conventional Loans.