But as the market has gotten better, their discounting has gotten worse - as you would expect.Typically, I tend to come in around 65% list and see what they counter at.

That said I would tend to look for an area where there is a lot of diversity of price or condition.

I say "best" in that NJ/NY have rules which tend to favor the tennant over the owner/landlord, property/land values can be more reasonable, and that I can get out to PA on weekends to meet people and shops deals.

Suprisingly they've been around some time but tend to be heavily fragmented due to regions (urban, rural & tourist destinations), target audience / demographics,...

Sellers who fit into these categories tend to be motivated to seller so they can move on with life.

I invested in real estate while tending to my rentals as well as running a full time foster group home (18 years).

An agency within the Department of Agriculture that promotes housing in rural areas is revamping its loan guarantee program to make it more attractive to lenders.Originating loans through the Rural Housing service has traditionally been a time-consuming process, and many lenders tend to focus on other products that make up a larger piece of their portfolios.

I tend to think it is not income or net worth that is the most important, but cash flow.

then I was almost 100% sure it was going to be a low ball offer (like the ones I tend to do) and behold... it was for $7,000 more than the listed price.... 

They tend to be expensive, but are desirable as rentals and generally appreciate well.