I think every person on this site as driven by in-fill developments (homes, apartments, mixed-use, etc.) and thought to themselves that if they could bring it up to the level of the surroundings, they'd have struck gold!  

One last consideration might be is the future redev opp in LA ( condos etc.) could be the actual pot of gold play vs what is happening currently. 

It is more challenging to turn the credit into cash and I have yet to be approved for the Gold strategy they suggest.

Thou Shall Prosper - Daniel Lapin The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant - Terry FelberFields of Gold - Andy Stanley The Legacy Journey - Dave RamseyAs for my thoughts more specifically related to the original post?

They do have a short memory The fact that everyone is forgetting is not that you can buy a $700k  house on a teachers salary is that the house you bought was worth $50k more in a day a month or 2 months later people were not buying the homes to live in but is was a mad money grab The $102% deals where you walked away with cash, the homes that were flipped for $30k profits a week after closing  This was the gold rush of the 1890's fueled by the criminal acts of wall street .

They want to see the following:Credit Report ( first page showing your middle score )Assets ( First page of a bank statement, IRA, 401k ) They want to know you have the down paymentPre Qualification Letter ( Realtors want assurance that you are gold and will close )DU or LP is the most important ( Desktop Underwriter or Loan Prospector )This is the automated approval showing that you actually qualify.Sounds like your lender isn't doing any of this. 

We go to the Destin chapter. https://professionalinvestorsguild.com/Also sign up to pensacolacashdeals.com @William Allen puts out a lot of great deals every week  @Jerry Padilla just dropped a gold bomb I didn't know about.

But it is obvious, as history and current activity shows, some areas can be a gold mine if the cards a played right. 

It's excellent thought and direction, and it sounds like you know how to play in the sandbox and turn sand into gold, with wisdom and collaboration.

Who would sell a gold mine ?