If you are not a contractor , and you dont do a lot of business with a supplier , you are going to pay retail . 

Do be too quick to pay retail for something that can be had for wholesale. 

Welcome @Chris Pace to BiggerPockets. 

Try a different retail bank that you have a relationship with, not a credit union. 

For me, it was buying retail ... what was I thinking?!?

From my absentee its, I get a lot of landlords who have been in the business 400 yrs and are ready to retire but they want retail for their property. 

I would not pay retail for a cash purchase.  

. $400) I see the most people are also setting up detailed marketing packages to send to sellers that show case their advantages compared to selling retail.

IE in my mind brokering deals either by flipping contracts or as a RE agent is not investing.. its sales and marketing.IN my mind an investor is buying a long term asset.So for me who builds new homes these days to sell to the retail public I don't consider my self an investor I consider my self a builder developer..

Heres my thing though, earlier this year I quit my job to run my retail store business full time so now my tax return will reflect self employed income where losses may be reported.