Early meetings with the local planning department?

Then I looked a little harder and found basic one-handle Grohe stuff through the same retailer starting at $100.

Idk know if this is a good one or not but consider you might be paying 20%+ over retail (based on the 51k one) just for the chance to collect rent on what appears to be a non appreciating asset.

(I'll leave the ethical and legal implications of doing so for another thread).Once a property is listed for sale on the MLS, Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Redfin, (the list goes on and on), you can assume everyone else (investors, wholesalers, realtors, and retail buyers) has already seen it, making it much harder for you to make a deal with the seller that is favorable to you. 

You're also dealing with East Cleveland's courts and building departments instead of Cleveland.

How does one approach a large bank to ask for a loan from the commercial arm of the lending department?

Maybe more so focus on getting promoted in any department that you work to where you manage people under you and then those skills will translate into managing tenants and employees as your own business grows.

Go read up on strategies used by wholesalers to find deals (mailers, knocking, etc), and do that stuff.It's probably been over a year since I did an FHA mortgage for a 2-4 unit that was...In one of our core markets,Arms length,Retail/MLS, andFHA.Start crossing one or two things off that list (skip Oakland and go to Stockton, befriend the seller, put 20%+ down, etc), and yeah those deals happen all the time.

I'd even be looking at finding a department where you made a much bigger salary.

My guess is all systems will need to be replaced for a retail flip and high end finishes will be expected.