REI in the US has become very competitive.

My dad's place was a fraction of what they were paying in rent.The building next to his was also zoned commercial, but used many years as residential, then a CPA firm bought it, turned the entire building into a CPA headquarters.

There are investment options ranging from one year to thirty years, and the returns are competitive to the other traditional investing options.

Rates are expected to stay in the 3,s and could get to go lower that will create demand pushing competition and prices.

I am going to build deals from the ground up, where the competition is vastly lower and returns significantly higher.The pro’s:I am getting a brand new building that I am certain of the construction technique/building codes.Maintenance will be as low as possible, besides in a NNN leased building.Besides the contracting company (whom I am happy to pay for their knowledge) I am getting the building at cost, instead of using a cap rate valuation.

That said, our local lenders only require 20% down and have extremely competitive interest rates.

Hot Water: If owner pays consider upgrading to tankless or heat-pump models that are much more efficient.Get tenants off of house heat: Mini-splits are a great option for heating and cooling, especially if you're in an area where A/C is a competitive advantage.

Townhome and condos you're competing with first-time buyers and it's a super competitive market.

I’ve been putting offers in on places over the last two weeks and the competition is high.

The other thing that will keep you on the short list is to offer competitive pricing (standard pricing is easiest) and be prompt to respond to questions.