For the current bubble (assuming there will be one)  the hedge funds are not only playing the upside by buying tons of houses (at one point in Atlanta 25% of houses were going to hedge funds or similar big players), they will play the downside (like a violin) as well.  

The downside is that is a very rigid system.

One of the down sides to hard money I see is used to banks saw it as a cash deal.Now many of the REO brokers tell me banks do not view a HML as cash even though the buyer investor portrays it as cash.The HML still has conditions to fund the loan and the asset manager knows this.So essentially you want the REO bank to take a low offer and it might not even close with the HML lender.At least with a proof of funds in my name from my bank with no contingencies the bank knows it will close if they accept the offer.I agree hard money can be great but with high cost of borrowing and not being true cash with no attachments i thas down sides as well.

Downside i guess would be more earnest money at risk and having to pay realtor fee's to whatever agents the banks use.If you have used this strategy would you mind sharing your story and what bank you dealt with?

You should know if you qualified them properly in the beginning.Having said that the courts can award the judgement but it is the landlords responsibility to enforce it.You can file a FIFA to put on each tenants credit.If they have credit worth anything but with a judgement and that long of non-payment I am guessing not.You can hire a collection company to harass them but that is usually a bunch of bark and no bite.You can hire an attorney but that gets expensive and all they will do is what I am going to say next.You can either use a judgement recovery service directly OR you can file an action yourself for bank levy or wage garnishment from their jobs.The wage garnishment can only take a certain percentage each week of their income and if they are below poverty guidelines for the federal government you cannot garnish at all.If most of the income is social security,pension,then you can't garnish protected funds.Ultimately the debtor can file bankruptcy and wipe out your judgement.When you file the action to garnish wages they might settle with a mediator in court with you.You can always sell the debt to a judgement company for 20 cents on the dollar and get the cash and move on.The judgement company will research first to see if the debtors are judgement proof or are likely to recover anything.If they are judgement proof they will not buy upfront.You can have the judgement company do all the work and you split profits with them 50/50.The down side is the payouts are small over time and take a long time to get payment and it's not closed.I would much rather move on and get the money now.Laws vary by state.PENNSYLVANIA Judgment Enforcement, Pennsylvania Interest Rates: Judgment: 6%.

The downside to the crappier areas also is the cash flow might be high going in but these depressed areas tend to have tenants on very limited incomes and turnover is high due to job instability and personal life issues and rent increases are tougher to get annually.

It loads sooo much faster for each screen.There is a real downside to Appfolio in NY.

However, I can imagine someone using all-cash to get a discount (I've done it before) and ensure their downside is "making less money" rather than "losing money".

Your insistence that there is no downside to BRRR and it is superior to a rental in every way and for every person is also confusing.  

If you're going to use the proceeds to buy more investment real estate then looking into a 1031 is a must.The only downside to the 1031 where you live is that PA does not recognize it so you will still pay state tax even if you 1031 and defer federal tax and depreciation recapture.