Hi Pace:I'm a HomeVestors franchisee in Greensboro, NC and right now we get a little better than the national averages you mentioned.I used to use those lists you mention and I believe you'll find those to be competition deals.

There are a lot of foreign nationals (Canadians, Mexicans, Great Britans and Californians ;-) that invest in the Phoenix area.

Perhaps a small local lender will do better for you than the large national lenders.  

You could have a national tenant but in a small town where most lenders will pass to do a loan.Least to most risk usually.1.Yum brands parent corp guarantee for a Taco Bell - many thousands of stores backing the lease2.

I have seen, personally, some national marketing companies calling themselves Turnkey (they don't own the props themselves, they just advertise props owned by other companies around the country, red flag!)

Vincent Kituku, a nationally recognized motivational speaker present for us.

I am not sure this debate has occurred here on the boards.First let's understand what the definition of a security actually is:The term ‘‘security’’ means any note, stock, treasury stock, security future, security-based swap, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, preorganization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security, certificate of deposit, or group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a ‘‘security’’, or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing.So right there at the beginning of the definition we see "any note".

I self manage and work full time in NYC as a Sys Admin for a National financial services firm.Are you looking for single families, multi families?

I also get 2% back on all purchases from Home Depot through a local REIA membership (which I believe they get from an affiliation with the National Real Estate Investors Association) Funny story -- I met a flipper/developer who said he purchases $1 million through Home Depot each year.

Cali property taxes are lower than national average normally.