Look at their marketing strategy.

If you can get in before a property hits the market, you can often negotiate a great win-win deal for everyone. 

This is one of the main inherent risks with pre-construction, and the pre-construction market has cooled, and with impeding tariffs, there is some uncertainty around where prices will be in the coming months.One thing to clarify, are you looking to buy an investment property or a primary residence (or perhaps abit of both where you live in one unit and rent out the other)?

I have found my market and have created my team thus far. 

Time ManagementReal estate can consume all your time with endless tasks—client meetings, marketing, and paperwork.

I help investors find opportunities in the NYC market, specializing in residential and commercial properties.

They have been managing fine, although not too busy, I guess because of the market.

It sounds like mistakes were made on the properties but I'm also questioning the market (you didn't say where these are). 

There's a reason that people try to buy properties off-market and that is because you can find sellers who care more about terms than maximizing returns.So start with a conversation: you already presumably have some rapport since it's your landlord and you've spoken before.

Quote from @Jaren Taylor: Quote from @Chris Mason: If you have the ability to market and raise money, then you secure the down payment, and do the normal commercial mortgage process.