Once you assemble all of those elements then it is just a matter of practice in negotiating and learning as you go. 

To be more successful, you simply have to work on the other elements to progress your REI pursuit.

I have never dealt with any, however; have heard others that have and it seems the biggest concern these days is what environmental liability there is or could be.

Everything from zoning to environmental studies to utilities to soil tests to water management to permitting, etc.

Without going into details what elements of his program were better?

.;- Experience (# of investment properties sold, or comparable projects completed within a given timeframe, like the last 3 years)- Credit score (generally the higher the score, the lower the rate available)- Leverage (LTC/LTV - generally the higher the leverage, the higher the rate)The above list is by no means exhaustive, and the elements will vary by lender.With that said, typical short-term HML interest rates right now are likely to be somewhere between the high single digits, like 9%, and the mid 10's, like 14-15%.Also, HMLs typically charge a couple of origination points.(3) Lastly, are there other recommendations from the BP brain-trust that are all welcomed and thanks in advance?

Technology I think can speed things up, give you more and better information and potentially solve a lot of problems, but it still doesn't take the human element out of the equation at least so far.   

In every case, the Board's #1 JOB is to preserve, protect, and maintain all common and limited common elements, and, in most states, they have full authority to assess fees to accomplish this with reasonable planning.

I'm watching that with interest: http://mlf.org/community-first/Overall, I think this trend will continue because more people are seeking to downsize for cost savings, environmental benefits, etc.

There are environmental issues in every state about the concentration of these systems.