Buying homes and duplexes 

Then we had people with FOMO still buying at high interest rates at super high prices through 2023.  

There are definitely pros and cons to each so I figured I would just lay out a few benefits and personal thoughts: Small banks/brokerages:Pros:- Some regional knowledge of the market- Possibility of more creative lending guidelines with bank specific programs- Sometimes they have competitive rates for their areaCons: - weak balance sheet (more strict on some guidelines, no wiggle room, inability to be flexible or grant exceptions because they cannot afford to hold less than perfect loans)- Can't scale with clients to different markets- Usually limits exposure to individual investors (they don't want one investor to be too big of a portion of their balance sheet)- Lack of experience with multiple solutions (tend to have 2 or 3 loan products they sell and are too niche to provide tailored solutions)Large banks/brokerages:Pros:- Large compliance departments that understand individual market guidelines (typically each state has specific lending guidelines that augment the national baseline)- Ability to scale into multiple markets with same lender (licensed in many states)- Impossible for individual investors to "outgrow" a large bank's balance sheet (not concerned with one investor's concentration)- More lending solutions available for different scenarios- Often comparable or better rates given the game is volume basedCons:- Can be more difficult to get fast responses if the bank/brokerage does not have good follow up systems in place (or if the underwriting/processing staff gets overwhelmed)- Bad large banks can feel less like a relationship and more like a cog in a factory (less personal)Overall, I have worked from both and worked with both as a loan officer, branch manager, and as an investor/client myself. 

Looking at buying my next multifamily in the next several months.

This would be my very first rental.I have an opportunity to buy a house from an old neighbor for $425k.

Would it be better for me to go with cheap windows or is it possible for me to buy windows myself and have somebody install them and just cut out the middle man?

I haven't explored the market yet for that product.  

So if you want a true solid evaluation of their program you need to judge it buy how efficient they are in teaching you how to generate MOTIVATED seller leads.. not just "seller leads".Then you find the students that didn't take selfies with their paychecks.

The best action you can take is to not buy in Cleveland or Columbus.

Quote from @Daniel Becker: Don't get buried in the weeds. 30 years ago, people invested by saving money, buying a house they liked, and holding onto it for decades.