I can tell you the obvious... that markets are local and even local MLS statistical data doesn't necessarily give a clear indication of sales impact on the street level dynamics for rehabbers and investors.

You assign a contract, double close, buy in an LLC and sell the LLC or some other technique that makes you a principal to the deal, but the basic idea is you find a buyer, find a seller, put them together and collect a fee.

It is horrible what we went through, but I really do hope that our members see the real value of this place and take up any or all of the 6 items I suggested above.Jeff Sielicky - I was very close to spending many thousands of dollars on one of those data recovery places . . .

Its an issue of materiality more than anything else and you will need to have a written policy in place that you follow.If you have one property and collect $400/mo in rent and purchase 5 tools in one year for $100/ea will be far more material than if you had a 100 unit apartment collecting on average $650/unit and spent the same amount.There are few hard and fast rules here though the temporary regs passed in December will change some of this on your 2012 tax returns.

Of course, there's a first for everything ...This next thread holds a collection of links for buying at auction, some of which specifically refer to HOA:http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/41/topics/68977-foreclosure-auction-sheriff-sale-and-trustee-sale-faq

Purchase contract with some good outs, or an option, something that gives you leverage to collect your fee.Unlike the others if the price was right I would take a quit claim deed but I wouldn't record it and the seller wouldn't get anything until all was right with the world.

You would increase your odds of collecting rent, not garauntee it.

There are 3rd party loan administration companies that will also "professionalize" the loan transaction, and give the lender more peace of mind.Many advise, for the security of the lender, that you execute a couple of additional documents: (1) document permitting the lender to deed the property to themselves if you are more than xx days late on the payment (often 30 days), and (2) an assignment of rents, allowing the lender to intercede with the tenants and begin collecting the rent directly if you are more than xx days late on the payment (again, 30 days is common).

I am trying to figure out a way to have a mortgage on a property instead of having it free in clear with renters so that I can simply collect debt payments on some of my portfolio.

Most landlords I speak with regarding Section 8 only take those tenants where the tenant-paid portion is so small that the landlord is willing to forego collecting it; their expectation is that it will be unpaid at some point, so if it is a negligible amount they just don't worry.