My biggest thing is one lender offers 3% down on a conventional whereas the other only goes as low as 5% down on a conventional and I'd like to use as much leverage as possible.

There are some downsides to the neighborhood.

Most people here like this area because of the aforementioned reasons as well as the proximity to Cool Springs/Franklin which outside of Murfreesboro and Nashville is the next biggest employer base, shopping, dining, etc. in the region.  

Hello everyone,I put an offer in on a duplex that needs a lot of work and will not pass conventional financing or standard FHA financing(the biggest reason being no heat source).

The biggest challenge is finding a deal.

Christopher a lot of people don't know that on average, Section 8 tenants tend to stay in properties longer than cash tenants and since tenant turnover is generally one of the biggest expenses that risk is mitigated with a properly screened Section 8 tenant. 

The two biggest ones that come to mind are the lead laws and the tenant payment laws.MA is making a huge push to be lead safe/free (don't quote me on the technicality of the terms).

I would advise also that you don't reach out to the biggest investor-friendly Agents in the area -- 90% of the time, they already have their clients and new clients tend to be friends of existing clients. 

So the biggest bang for your buck is 5% down bracket since putting 10% down only gives you .25 less fee.Just make sure your lender walks you through the nuts and bolts of how to use VA strategically and the pros and cons of each stage. 

I think too many wholesalers are focused on building the biggest buyer's list without vetting each of them.