The short answer to this puzzle is:  the money has to come from somewhere (if your insurance won't cover the replacement and any repairs if they were due to a failed roof). 

This is not attractive - especially at a high 3.00% (pushing 4.00%) rate with no IO.95% of the time, this client goes for agency financing - but given the nature of this small loan portfolio - I don't think agencies are the right puzzle piece here. 

This an exciting puzzle @Michael Heisterkamp still trying to wrap my head around your third example.

This type of investment can make a lot of sense as a starter home.The out of area cash investors who pay a premium for slim returns are a puzzling story to me too.  

I am closing on my first rental property and I am quickly realizing that I am missing this crucial piece of the puzzle.  

@Dane Fossee To answer your question...Excellent Score 750 - 830Good Score 660 - 749Fair Score 520 - 659Poor Score 363 - 519However, using a credit score to determine the strength of a prospective tenant is a minor piece of the puzzle.

Last piece to the puzzle.

The most important part of the puzzle is a title company that has experience w/ simultaneous closings.Sure, see if they're open to owner financing.Hope that helps!

Staying inside a "classroom" for two years, or for any length of time, is not the entire puzzle.

I had researched about real estate for years; but it was like finding pieces of a puzzle, nothing like this website.Thanks to this community, it has given me the opportunity to network with outstanding professionals and have an extensive platform of valuable information available for people like me that are starting on the REI field.