The answer is different based on the situation.If you're leveraged with insufficient reserves and your only option is to flip the properties (re: these are negative cash flow properties) then you're screwed in a market down turn.If you're leveraged with sufficient reserves and you can only flip then as long as the downturn doesn't outlast your reserves you'll still be limping but  you'll come out of the situation with a significant but survivable loss.If you're leveraged, have good reserves but you're cash-flowing your property (it's a buy and hold/rental) - then as long as  you have renters you don't really give a crap about what the market does.And yes, you can de-risk by owning free and clear but you're giving up one of the biggest advantages of real-estate : The ability to leverage.By owning free and clear your returns (cash-on-cash) will look horrendous - and at this point other non real-estate investments will start to make more sense.That's my 2-cents anyways

 I'll respectfully disagree with the "no benefit to cash" statements.When I'm representing a seller, we LOVE all cash deals, because it eliminates the whole underwriting process.That's where deal get wrapped around the axle - borrower's DTI changes before closing, property appraisal comes in low, property is with 300 feet of a gas station (yes, that's a real thing with FHA), sudden unrelated expenses come up during underwriting and borrower has insufficient cash on hand to close, down payment cash is gifted from a source the lender won't approve of (think close friend, second cousin), cash gifts are not seasoned, FHA/VA/USDA appraiser sees peeling paint, broken window, crumbly steps, etc., not to mention that it also eliminates the financing contingency.A cash buyer eliminates all of those landmines, making it a MUCH stronger offer than one with financing, even if the all cash offer is somewhat lower.

My thinking was to find the owner's info and contact them and see if they want to sell, but I cannot buy it due to insufficient experience and money! 

The short answer is look for the things that are expensive to repair.A longer, but insufficient answer is, here are the things I would look for: - How does the roof look? 

Possibly other issues such as insufficient supply line for 4 meters or whatever other gas related extra work.3.)

In your experience is it just better to do auto pay only because it will prevent late fees or did your transaction ever have insufficient funds anyway? 

This one proposes ~$80K, which for such a large area seems insufficient (~1600 properties), 1/2 of it goes to consulting/admin fees.  

Then my wife started a business marketing nutritional supplements,, and we decided to do it under the same corporate umbrella as well, using my S Corp. 

If you refinance, you'll get cash out tax free to invest, but it sounds like you have insufficient cash flow to support a bigger mortgage.The correct answer (if there is one) is going to be based on what you want to do with your life.

Hello,Unfortunately I've yet to find a forum for appraisers so bankers/lenders/brokers it is.If I have a letter of intent from a commercial tenant in which the lease rate is potentially 2x what an appraiser says is the market rate in his report to my bank then what is the likelihood the appraiser is going to use the lease rate in my LOI to override his market research vs the other way around which would kill my loan request with the bank due to the projected NOI being insufficient for the DSCR?