It depends on how you play the game .  

I usually adhere to my personality and play the role of "fly on the wall" to absorb information, but I've been trying to break that mold in multiple ways for the past year now.

You just have to play the numbers. 

Also, keep in mind that the lender is looking at a debt return, not an equity return.The lender is going to play the odds and allocate its capital to someone with 'skin' in the game, who will have a vested incentive to have a successful project, and hopefully has previous, successful experience - as @Neil Aggarwal notes in his reply.Best of luck finding the $0 down financing and you're spot on that you won't know absolutely unless you inquire. 

To find a web developer look in your own backyard...then Go with your business card and play the game..."

If you know how to play the game by the rules and play carefully nobody can mess with you.

Being first to the list agent is sometimes useful (more so a few years ago than today, but first never hurts) being first immediately after a price reduction or a change in list status from pending to active is yet another.For me, pursuing million dollar plus properties was two fold, one, it was a natural progression for me and the next step in the ladder for my business and two, I saw the market was starting to change in late 2011 in that properties we're becoming more difficult to find (good deals), competition was increasing as more all cash transactions were taking place, and I knew that my strategy of using my relationships with top REO brokers and asset managers who were giving me deals BEFORE they ever hitter MLS would not last much longer, thus, I had to play the numbers game on the MLS like everybody else (or direct market).

When you get high enough up the food chain, you'll get the person that knows you are within your rights and will give you the list.One last thing - BE INCREDIBLY POLITE AND PLAY THE VICTIM.  

A group that want's to socialize housing in LA, California and the rest of the US.http://www.dailynews.com/government-and-politics/2...https://www.facebook.com/latenantsunionThey play the race card by getting non English speakers to sign up and are really getting active in LA. 

Play the authenticity card.