Adding to what Greg said, there are lots of buyers who aren't pre-approved or will make an offer and then not be able to get financing wasting the seller's time.

I do plumbing inspections on the way in, along with full home inspections, and sometimes we do a pre-sale home inspection on the way out before the sale and we offer that as part of the listing package.

Hello Scott, developers require a minimum down payment of 30% and the balance in  to 9 months in a pre construction condo.

As an investor, you'll need to wait until this period expires before your offer will be considered.Additionally, Freddie Mac may require proof of funds or a pre-approval letter with your offer, and they often prefer cash offers or conventional financing.

If you have rental(s) or plan to get one and want to decide between long/mid and short-term rental strategies taxes do play a roll if you have high W2 income you want to try and reduce you tax burden. 

I have added pre-payment penalties on my refinance loans to decrease my rate substantially. 

It was slow pre-election but now the bookings have poured in. 

If this is financing for a stabilized property rate carries more importance but rate combined with origination fees, pre-payment penalty and term in which you intend on keeping the loan in place are all considerations which together should help in deciding the best financing option.

Right now, we’re seeing a slight increase in inventory and some corrections in rents, which could create opportunities—but achieving solid cash flow on a condo can still be challenging.Getting pre-approved is a great first step to narrow down your options and focus on locations that make sense for your goals.

We are looking into houses on the lower end of the scale at first to get started for a "low risk" (we could pay mortgage out of pocket no problem even if property is vacant for 30 years) house that will give us the experience we need as rental home landlords - and I am looking down the road at potential investment ideas to keep this thing rolling.