I don't think the poster was asking how much of a loan he could get, I think he was considering buying and if the property would be worth more to him as a commercial deal.I therefore was referring to the value to buy or sell, or produce cash flow, not discussing the finance piece at all.Lending is only part of what I do.

I know that the value is basically determined by the income the property produces over expenses & debt but does actual area sales ever factor into determining the Max Allowable Offer?

I am primarily interested in buy and hold investing and I am looking to build up a portfolio of income producing properties and getting out of the rat race.

I can't help with trust deeds but as far as the live in the condo to rent it out later....just be sure to go ahead and calculate all the numbers out now as if it were a rental property and make sure it is in line with producing positive cash flow and not negative.

You have an income producing asset.

During the education part, she talked about her absentee letters and how she uses a horse water mark on the paper to produce results.

If I were you I would like to talk with people who he has provided this service in the past and what their results were.I would also like to see actual deals and numbers to verify he can produce the results he is presenting you with.I'm trying to figure out what exactly you are paying for.I am not sure of what your resources are but it sounds like you may have family that could possibly provide you with some very good insight.

Though I'm sure they would produce the signs you need they might be too large to be able to do it and they still be affordable.I have found that the best deal is using an online sign service such as supercheapsigns.com, etc.

I've also spoken with Alex at length about various aspects of the investment and I'm confident in his ability to produce and surround himself with capable people.This is a long term investment for me and I love the BP community, so I don't mind posting updates as I move forward.  

I'd like to establish a foundation on which to build long term wealth, while still keeping income producing options open.I'm not set on the type of investing I'd like to pursue, as I'm still brand new to the game.