It may be similar to other commercial lending options, but it really depends on the type of property and the procedure of the specific lender you're working with.

I would be much more specific on pricing.

Paid platforms often offer additional features like market analytics, off-market property leads, and filters for investor-specific criteria, giving them a leg up over free options.Exactly, most platforms have to offset cost somewhere because of how expensive it is to keep the data up to date.

Also, which choice is better for you highly depends on what your real estate goals are and the experience level & skillset of the specific agent.Traditional agent and Redfin Agent could essentially be the same thing in many cases.

I would focus specifically on markets that are landlord-friendly.

If I ever have specific questions, I look through google and then use the BP forums as another source.

What specific details do you look for in a lead (e.g., financial info, property condition)?

But before I even get into identifying specific properties, I need to first get smarter about some of the other things I put in my post. 

However, I’d love to hear insights from the community:1.Are there specific lenders or institutions you’d recommend that cater to international investors?

People who have service dogs (or horses, as these are the only 2 service animals) that are genuine have no issue disclosing that on the front end and can answer the 2 questions easily - is the animal necessary for a disability, and what specific tasks has the dog (or horse, if you're getting one of those) been trained to perform?