They will either tell you a one sentence answer or they will go into a story that reveals why, and how motivated they are.

AND it is very unethical to reveal the contents of any other offers received.Chill out and have a beer :).

Certainly a comp that matches the subject property identically in size and bed/bath combos does not count if it is 15 miles away and closed a year ago.My advice (in addition to learning how appraisals are done) is to learn your market in and out including knowing what each variety of homes and their combinations sell for.

A good mortgage broker can be a real asset because they will have access to a variety of programs for different situations.Nobody can just transfer a house to an LLC and "free up income".

Looking at a person's bank statements will reveal payroll deposits.

There are lots of great online tools that are intermediaries between the landlord / applicant where the applicant never needs to reveal personal information (such as SSN etc) to the screener. 

I do so many transactions a quarter with a variety of buyers and sellers and brokers and other professionals (even Wholeseller. i'm happy to pay money to for bringing me a good deal).

There are a variety of great options and strategies that can help you accomplish your goals that are better than banking on appreciation.

If you don't want to reveal the fact you own the place, tell tenants that you're the property manager and work for the owner.

Buy J's book and all will be revealed    @J Scott      :)