It's all about controlling the cost.Good Luck!

Since each lender controls it’s own money you will have to call around to ALL the banks to learn about all the programs.

If you look at the one base fee charged by escrow, it is most of the time equal ... although I highly doubt a bank selling one of their reo's that requires you use their escrow is truly paying as much of that base fee as the purchase agreement suggests.I would be a little careful using one title company's definition of a 50/50 escrow fee as a basis for concluding that writing 50/50 on the standard CAR form is going to be interpreted the same by all escrow companies.It's kind of a moot point because however it is interpreted, both buyer and seller, after review, approve and sign escrow instructions and that then becomes the controlling authority for the balance of the transaction.This is hardly something that keeps me up at night.

Remember you don't have to own a property to control it.Good LuckPaul

Let them do the hard negotiating and walk through the nuances of the different programs like Homepath.

If you're just starting out and are short on funds, try wholesaling for a while until you have enough cash to invest in buy and hold.Once you start buy and hold, continue wholesaling as well for cash to buy more buy and hold.Once you get to, lets say 10 buy and hold properties, and have been wholesaling as well, maybe it's time to do a 1031 TDE into larger multifamily (think 50 doors or more) where you can control the value of the property better.

You can do a referral program where you refer leads to this agent but even that can be grey area.

So that game has a clock you can't control, not much you can do.  

@Mark Updegraff - What you are referring to is the Soft Second Mortgage program available through the city of New Orleans.

Remember you don't have to own a property to control it.I have buddies in western PA getting houses for $500-2,500 each from the county Tax Repository Sales.Good luckPaul