Regarding a weak lender- We had a retail client who was part of a special program for 1st-time buyers.

You need to be very careful with retail strips or other anchored centers right.

You are trading in monthly cash flows for much greater stability, especially when you are talking about markets like Cambridge and Boston (and especially since you are buying more or less retail product 100% leveraged, its going to be tough to have amazing cash flows). 

Multifamily,Single Family, Industrial, Office, Retail, Hotel or something else.

I have also found the contractors that will float the cost tend to be higher priced, more of retail price than an investor-friendly price. 

Most times, it's other asset classes in real estate such as single-family homes, apartment buildings, and commercial office and retail buildings that bring in more tax money from businesses and taxpayers which becomes more of a monetary issue. 

I know my stocks are doing well but they are all tech stocks and while they represent a chunk of the stock market, they do tell me squat about the average mom and pop store that closed down or the thousands of retail or restaurant workers who are out of a job or how close to 100k airline employees will lose jobs come September 30.

But to pay retail then have to re level your in negative equity out of the shoot. 

A god mix is super critical in a retail strip. it makes no sense to have 3 hair salons and 2 nail salons in a 5-6 units strip. 

I'm guessing that neither party is on BP since it was a retail sale.Lots of folks have said that their product or service was going to replace real estate agents, and it hasn't happened yet.