e.g. healthy lunch left out, but she takes petty cash money and buys fast food. 

https://www.kiplinger.com/article/real-estate/T050...Summary:- I: Intrinsic Value - Location, Appealing Design, Healthy Economic and Population trends- P: Price - You make money when you buy right and force appreciation. 

But, we are in an exchange so are putting a good chunk down and have calculated to be at a healthy cash flow that can weather any sudden or gradual market downturns.Feel free to contact me if you want current info from a CA investor looking to go to Phoenix. 

That’s good to know.. so do you recommend focusing on building relationships to maybe form a partnership down the road and using what I save as skin in the game? 

You can usually get anywhere from 90% of cost and 100% of rehab depending on credit and experience but most lenders will request you have some skin/equity in the game.

If healthy people follow the "don't worry, be happy" mantra, worrywarts like myself follow the "worry more, be happier" mantra.

I'm a newbie from CA trying to invest in my first rental property in TX or some other states with healthy RE market (good cash flow and landlord friendly).

I was going to do this for two reasons:1) If they agree to 4% over 10 years this will not only help me out by giving me a lower rate than through traditional financing but it will also allow them to recoop their sale price in the form of interest payments. 2)  This will get them to have skin in the game.

You can't compare yourself to a long time investor who has skin in the game and a big team.

Have you thought about bringing the management company in as a partner, even better, with their own skin in the game to get the loan approval?