I am trying to understand the market and I have been hitting a lot of flakes on BP lately.

Understanding what real estate is, how it is valued, the theory of real estate ownership, and real estate law, will allow you to see each possible purchase with a clarity most amateur investors never experience.2.

@Wod Ed I hear you and I understand your problem.

Many partnerships don't work out do to basic discussions up front around skill assessment and clear understanding / expectations from each partner.  

@Suzanne Griffiths When you mentioned bank statements and credit reports, it was my understanding that HML's don't require this kind of information from you in order to obtain a loan.

@Andrii Okipnyi my understanding of the City Ordinance is all property owners are required to clear public sidewalks of snow by 7:00 pm the day of a snowfall.  

Not all inspectors deal with the city and understand/qualified for DIHLR requirements, make sure to get inspector that does those.

There's lot of new buyers and investors in the market who don't understand the numbers, and the inventory is limited.  

I understand that this may come with a host of other problems, bad tenants, etc. though. 

I am having a hard time understanding how they come to that number.