I offer nothing to this relationship, but expect you to jump at the chance because you probably have nothing better else to do.

The relationship between the loan officer and the contractor is really not relevant to the terms of the purchase agreement or escrow costs.

I would suggest that you keep in touch by telephone or passing by every month to six weeks. you are attempting to establish rapport and some kind of relationship so that when he decides to reduce price or comes to understand that you are closer to the market than he was then he turns to you over those he might have spoken to in the interim.

I understand that interacting with others and taking the time to make my name known as well as build relationships in the industry is the most important step.

I am hear to develop relationships with others on similar journeys in the hopes of sharing the good and the difficult of real estate investment. 

Your best bet is to establish a relationship with at least 2 mortgage brokers in your area.

Fundamentally, to the extent of my knowledge, the Bay will still thrive and grow for a long time to come.But the question of: "Is the cost of living in the Bay so high compared to the rest of the country (maybe historically, or just the affordability index) that it is now a very attractive option for a ton of people to start moving elsewhere?  

Others I've talked to say that instead of shopping around it's best to stay with one lender and build a relationship.

Good relationship with the bank, good credit, personal guarantee on the commercial loan were all required.Hope that helps and good luck!

Honestly, if you aren't looking to sell real estate, use the materials as a learning resource and work on finding an experienced investor friendly agent that you can develop a long term working relationship with.