Most successful real estate investors could have excelled in a number of other fields.

If you’re referring to the “newbies” with $10k to their name that watch a video by Pace and get excited and pay for joining, go out with their last $5k and do a sub to with a “desperate” homeowner without revealing all the possible consequences (because they are unaware of the consequences through lack of experience and lack of knowledge and or choose not to inform the seller) then I agree, it’s probably going to turn out badly for all concerned.If on the other hand you’re referring to a seasoned investor with excellent credit, significant cash reserves, who wants to add a property to their portfolio without going through loan qualifying, and can pay enough to give the seller “walking away” money because of the low existing interest rates and or, and is dealing with a informed seller, then I find nothing wrong or negative about the transaction.  

Get knowledge, follow experienced people, and leverage wisely.My Take:If you have two houses, excellent credit, and motivation to build wealth, you can learn to manage your money responsibly.Use HELOC, credit cards, and business credit funding to leverage your cash and buy properties faster.

The most important thing is to know the details of your local program like the back of your hand, then look for loopholes.Just to give you and the other BP'ers a deeper handle on why some TDR programs work and some don't, I just uploaded an excellent study on the topic to my FilePlace at http://www.biggerpockets.com/files/user/ChrisNewma...

They have a good selection of quality rugs for reasonable prices.

These companies invest for long term growth.Here's why exploring these options could be a win:Less competition: Fewer investors might mean you snag a better deal.High growth potential: Up-and-coming areas can offer excellent appreciation alongside decent cash flow.Unique opportunities: Discover niche markets with specific tenant needs, like student rentals or corporate relocation hotspots. 

If not, then you really need a strong legal structure stating how these properties will be governed going forward, including management, tenant selection, capital expenses, etc.

When you said it came as runnerup, what criteria have you used to select it.  

The one you select really depends on your needs and bookkeepers preference.  

@Jay Hinrichs @Jonathan Greene @Nicholas L.you have all helped me to really consider what type of challenge / path I want to get into, and all this information is excellent.