Likely, will go with the lenders that already have a short sale or foreclosure lending product, for obvious reasons. 

I just have to be a contrarian here @Caleb Heimsoth  as Caleb states I cannot think of anything risker than remote rehab for beginners.. keep in mind the author is a very experienced real estate professional and what works for him simply is not germane for beginners I know they want to sell books on this site.. but I fear there is going to be some really sad people that try to do this and simply don't know what they don't know.. all to just save 5 to 10k  extra that a flipper that does all the work and takes all the risk makes bringing you a finished product.. you can lose 10 to 20k in a heart beat doing this if not more.. 

That kind of domination will help you be more profitable/productive at what you do. 

Who cares about the interest rate if you can find a loan product with a fixed rate that allows you to cash flow?

@Adam Widder, It is true that property that qualifies for 1031 is property that you have the intent of holding for productive investment use. 

I personally didn't like it because you have to do everything yourself everyday - go buy all the products in Costco or other huge stores, looking for discounts and promotions to get a better price (because most of the profit in vending comes from a very cheap prices when you buy bulk).

I currently buy 3-5 a month mostly off the MLS but the market is slowing down a bit and Im looking to work with a few experienced wholesalers to get deals to keep my crews busy. 

I am less than thrilled with the performance of GE products as well, but we're not talking the same level of flimsy.

But it was all about entertainment and money made for the production company at the end.

Has anyone been able to execute on such a strategy with an FHA or a competitive loan product for first time homebuyers.