No sense is putting money into something that is speculative. 

I am only speculating on the profile of the qualified borrower.

Sometimes it's best to grab the money that is on the table now, instead of speculating on larger future gains.

Therefore it becomes more speculative buying.

The price decline should remind Investors and home buyers, that housing should never be seen as a short-term speculation, but rather as a place to settle & enjoy, in the long run.

I don't want to speculate as to what the process would be in your situation, but I would definitely ask prior to you entering into an arrangement for the money.

Again, I don't know for certain...just speculating, and just based on the rules in my state.

So essentially, I speculated and exposed myself to become a casualty of the real estate downturn in 2008.

Additionally, over the last 4-5 years, local developers have had incredible success developing/renovating mixed-use buildings, so now there are actual numbers aspiring investors can use to market their business plans more effectively to potential lenders, rather than having to speculate.

There will likely be larger price drops for properties in areas that are more iffy or prone to speculation.