When we are given properties that don't match our criteria or are just randomly picked off the MLS it is a big waste of our time and we will soon tire of previewing your lists.If you show us that you are finding properties that other investors may not have found yet, by using other methods than the MLS search, we get rather excited and focus more on those properties.INFORMATION - many investors work out of the area that they live in, so are working remotely. 

There's your 1.5% right there, and it's a legitimate asset which if it can be improved upon (which I think it can be by adding a 15-20 car garage, and improving the units over 2-3 years so that they match the finishings of the premier apts in the area), then you can actually realize the additional value created.  

The county has a program for first-time home buyers that matches their down-payment savings 4:1!

It doesn't seem like the title of the post, "Real Life of a Newbie Investor" matches the post entry. 

Find recently sold properties that match the type, configuration and location you learned from your property manager interviews.

I had one year of on-purpose roommates where four of us went in together and then 2 years where I took luck of the draw for my 3 roommates as the apartments had a matching system worked out.

Hi Joe, your opinion matches what I thought, but I went to see a couple of apartments and they said she needs to qualify as well which I thought was odd. 

A bidding ceiling has been established for each property where the profitability of that property does not match the goals that The Company has identified.  

Looking to establish a long-term relationship (wait, this isn't match dot com is it?)

The UW will most likely want both to match up numbers.Finally you're going to need a really good loan officer or broker in the future because UW have a job and that's to follow DU and if they have OVERLAYS those too.