Plus it frees me up not having to process that part myself.I had one married couple question it (if there was a discount for a married couple)- so I thought I'd ask.

Those of us who are buying on today's cashflow and are buying at some super discounts, we are also buying LOCALLY so national trends are largely irrelevant.

I'm trying to get FMV for the seller, and your investors are looking for a decent discount from FMV, plus your fee being in the mix,, the price you're offering is probably not going to work.

As always, you have to buy right, at deep discounts, and don't expect to get the full bang for your buck if you upgrade very much.

I do tend to seek deals with higher perceived risk as they can yield a discounted price and higher returns.  

Here is the book's link: http://www.amazon.com/Shift-Estate-Agents-Tackle-Tough/dp/0071605266#reader_0071605266 Now if you focus onhelping the seller sell their home and preserve their equity dollars by selling on terms rather than for cash at a discount, you can get a win for you as the investor or agent, for the seller who is stuck, and for the buyer that has good income but needs time to get a mortgage.

There are all sorts of discount brokerages out there and for experienced veterans those can be a good choice.. 

Remember we are trying to buy things at a discount. 

PROPERTY TAX QUESTION: If I'm buying a home that has homestead exemption with two months left in the year as an investment property, do I get to benefit from the homestead discount for the 2 months that I'm paying for 2019?

Don't count on getting a discount even if they are ok with the terms.Outside of that you could use another property to secure the loan or get an unsecured loan.