There are definitely pros and cons to each so I figured I would just lay out a few benefits and personal thoughts: Small banks/brokerages:Pros:- Some regional knowledge of the market- Possibility of more creative lending guidelines with bank specific programs- Sometimes they have competitive rates for their areaCons: - weak balance sheet (more strict on some guidelines, no wiggle room, inability to be flexible or grant exceptions because they cannot afford to hold less than perfect loans)- Can't scale with clients to different markets- Usually limits exposure to individual investors (they don't want one investor to be too big of a portion of their balance sheet)- Lack of experience with multiple solutions (tend to have 2 or 3 loan products they sell and are too niche to provide tailored solutions)Large banks/brokerages:Pros:- Large compliance departments that understand individual market guidelines (typically each state has specific lending guidelines that augment the national baseline)- Ability to scale into multiple markets with same lender (licensed in many states)- Impossible for individual investors to "outgrow" a large bank's balance sheet (not concerned with one investor's concentration)- More lending solutions available for different scenarios- Often comparable or better rates given the game is volume basedCons:- Can be more difficult to get fast responses if the bank/brokerage does not have good follow up systems in place (or if the underwriting/processing staff gets overwhelmed)- Bad large banks can feel less like a relationship and more like a cog in a factory (less personal)Overall, I have worked from both and worked with both as a loan officer, branch manager, and as an investor/client myself. 

We've been in this market for over 11years! 

Consider conducting thorough market research.

That's right—we haven't seen rates like this in over a YEAR.And here’s more great news for buyers...the market has more properties available than this time last year, leading to a slight drop in median prices.Now is the time to make moves.

While I haven't done a traditional flip, I have done some heavy remodeling at each of my properties and have some unique ways to find potential on market deals. 

The landlord insurance market in Houston, particularly Harris County, has become more challenging, leading to fewer insurers and higher premiums.

In the current market, that would be tough to do at anything over 75%.

I've been doing some direct marketing here in the Sacramento CA area.

Find an investor-friendly real estate agent in the market you want to invest in because a typical realtor is not as familiar with how to evaluate the potential of a property for investment purposes.

Therefore your buyer pool is generally limited to the most unsophisticated buyers or those who are well capitalized with a lot of cash on hand and can waive the contingencies and effectively complete their diligence on an initial walk through tour of the property.