😂Some of this stuff blows my mind.

May or may not blow up your deal but it's much easier if...Meet the investor with a clear title, a copy of the contract the investor that is being assigned (you can even meet at title so they can confirm that it is the contract), and an assignment form.

I'm not doom and gloom on the twin cities as some other investors I know are, and will continue to invest my money here, but I can't realistically advocate for others to do the same without an unfair advantage, as you stated in your post.

That tells me people are feeling more confident and have money to blow.  

Rather than "Joe Blow's Roadside Inn."

You can play games by pretending that you wanted this new place to be an investment (or "being creative" as you put it), but this would be lying and can blow up in your face.

You can roll it to a self-directed IRA (SDIRA) and buy real estate or privately lend, but you couldn't do that with your personal rental otherwise you would blow your IRA up. 6.5% right now is a great rate...it's lower than what you can get a 30-year fixed owner-occupied home for.

Personally we avoid the "blow and go" contractors.

It's that "shady-as-hell" crowd that are really stirring the pot and packing the bomb that's gonna blow back on everyone when it all blows. 

They either have a professional do it....and one that YOU approve before..... not Joe Blow Handyman that you have no clue about..., or its a NO GO...