The previous landlord held first, last, and security which I was credited at closing.

We want to know exactly what interest rate we’ll pay on a mortgage, what the water bill will be, if the property next door is thinking of selling, and everything else that has even marginal relevance.  

That's what I have found to be the standard going rate.

My first instinct is to try and have someone assume my loan and get out. 

After my first purchase I quickly discovered that the fastest way to scale was through multi-family and so I set forth on a new path. 

Inspecting the property can help identify any issues that might affect its value or the borrower’s repayment ability.During negotiations, be clear about loan amounts, interest rates, and repayment terms.

Even still, rates may be lower if the cash-flow exceeds 1.40+.

When interest rates shot up, the market seized.

Yes, there are a lot of people who spend less than they make and have a surplus.There are others who are inheriting wealth from othersBut there is another subset that we often forget: those who have equity in their homes.Much of the equity has built up due to a runup in home values since 2020, which allows these people to use a HELOC to purchase a home for cash.When rates were low there was a group of people who were using Hard money to purchase and rehab buildings and then refinancing at the end this was the BRRR strategy.Hard Money is not an option these days since the cost of refinancing at the end of the project is too expensive.So when we see people paying cash, it is often pent-up savings and HELOC money that people use, and not as often Hard Money.

You will most likely pay above market rates for the places if the owner is savvy enough.