Theoretically they're built much better since the "road travel" to the site is a bigger strain than anything "stick built" will face.However some banks/mortgage lenders avoid them like the plague.

I don't mind if a tenant works from home as long as that work does not create any strain whatsoever to maintenance of the property, or cause inconvenience, noise, and liability to anyone else.For example, buying and selling stuff, requiring UPS or FedEx multiple times a day for pick up, drop off, sometimes many packages on doorsteps; running a misery, conducting a yoga class, hair and nail, pet grooming, are all going to have frequent visitors that may park in neighbor's parking spaces, and you might be liable if a dog being groomed in unit C bit a baby being dropped off for baby sitting in unit B.  

I found a couple that said 5 wouldn't be a problem and one that said I sounded agitated and asked why.He explained the last I have done recently was for my own home and the since things have tightened up he would need to have everything (I always do full doc anyway) and sometimes they ask for crazy things to put in the file to cover their butt and it is just the new norm. 

With a glut of inventory already on the market in most areas; the subprime fiasco causing lending practices to tighten (thereby shutting a lot of potential buyers out of the market); a looming avalanche of foreclosures; and a pending recession; who are you going to flip to?

It's just now complete.The bad news:The Roof and two box gutters need to be totally re-done.We've been shipping water in two places for years.We need to repair a number of joists and about 16sq' of floor.The second floor's floors are bouncy and need to be tightened up.The good news:We found historically appropriate metal roofing the we can use city money on.We found metal roofing at a very good price through Modern Builders Supply.Almost every (brick) wall is nicely plumb.Almost all the floors are level.The wood floors in the rooms we want to refinish are BEAUTIFUL and have never been refinished, as far as I can tell.

As the market shifts, money tightens, and more and more new investors get broke, I think the opportunity opens up that much more for experienced investors.My point being that I just don't think that the opportunity will necessarily be proportional to a retail index of prices and/or a decrease in those prices.

If you are not listed first on a mortgage it will not show on your credit report.Lenders are tightening up as some got burned by not asking the right questions.

The only addition I can make is that the tightening mortgage market also makes lease-purchase deals more attractive, since more people will be in that gray area just shy of qualifying for a mortgage.

I believe the properties value will continue to go down hill as lenders will begin tightening the credit criteria creating a create a large supply of vacant properties.

With the subprime fiasco; a pending flood of foreclosures; the political change with more taxes on the way; the tightening of lending standards; etc, we're in for a long ride.