Use these insights to refine your approach for future deals.

The Pacific Northwest is competitive, so leveraging those connections can be a game-changer.Second, when analyzing deals, ensure you’re building a framework to assess not just the property’s performance today but its future potential.

Worst case scenario is where a seller does a lipstick on a pig repair such as just parging over it and then not disclosing the issue because you might get the sale price but open yourself to future liability when something happens. 

You’ll make more money today and in the future. 

He's had two successful flips so far and after this third one he's looking to pay off the HELOC and roll the profits into his future flips.

I point this out not to denigrate Ray, but to illustrate how so often it's very difficult to predict the future of real estate.

I am afraid we will fall for a property with a false sense of a good deal.Are there any suggestions to help me run an analysis that would better account for the larger down payment and allow me to better analyze potential properties in the future.

Protecting yourself from any future issues will require a good understanding of the situation your house is in when you buy it.Tl;dr: crime here is relatively low, declining population numbers don't take students into account, properties are cheap, rents are high BUT be careful where you buy.This concludes my TED Talk, ha!

They argue that the first few years maintenance would be insignificant since the properties are renovated, and so you're essentially stashing that money away for the future maintenance needs. 

Further, a paid off purchase does not preclude me from refinancing in the future.