Every note seller knows this is taught so those assets prices get jacked up and sellers get very high prices for them.I also see many people make big mistakes as they do not understand how to calculate returns and think if they are getting a $50,000 UPB note with a 4% rate paying $200/month for $25k they are doing awesome, then the loan starts reperforming and they realize after servicing costs it will take 12 years to get their money back which is approx. a 6% return - tack on paying ordinary income on that return and you mine as well invest in municipal bonds. 

At first i thought i was going to be able to do 15% down with a 30yr conv but didnt realize that the loan offered was a 20yr ARM, which didnt make since once we talked about the numbers more.

I pay unusually cheap rent for a lovely apartment in the heart of Cambridge, MA and the more I look around, the more I realize how hard it will be to find that lifestyle and price combination elsewhere.

I pay unusually cheap rent for a lovely apartment in the heart of Cambridge, MA and the more I look around, the more I realize how hard it will be to find that lifestyle and price combination elsewhere.

After listening to "Investing in Real Estate with No and Low Money Down" I realized that the only thing keeping me from moving forward was my mindset.

The more I look into it, the more I realize it's not all too uncommon.

I wanted to make sure I understood if the reason was something else, like that my understanding of refinancing was wrong.And @Max T. also good points - I didn't realize closing costs were higher, and I wasn't thinking how buying with cash off the bat means I can offer less and close more quickly, giving me an advantage.

Eventually, I'd like to own a STR property in the area but I realize that is years in making.Any advice is appreciated! 

I realized 3 of them were owned by the same person on the same street, and after some Google detective work I found his cell and learned he was 62. 

Wow @Bonnie Low, I did not realize that could happen when it comes to HML.