It is true, a lender will not look favorably at a scenario where the borrower is relying on a loan for the down payment.

I have been taught that some private lenders do not require money down.  

Just out of curiosity - has anyone heard of lenders declining new borrowers for assumable loans, even with strong qualifications?

thanks Paul I appreciate the insight, I was looking at the Scranton area, how are the rents in that area compared to say allentown

Also I know that some lenders have an issue with making loans if there are more than 2 layers of roofing over the deck- this would make you have 2 layers if you do not remove the shingles.

You will need to get a local, rockstar Realtor, contractor, lender, and property manager.https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/core-four-real-estate-tea...

Deciding factor would be to compare RC/ACV, Coinsurance, exclusion, etc and if it is inline with your risk tolerance.

Do the hours spent talking to an agent, contractor, lender to acquire the property count?

Sure you need bedrooms and bathrooms (with 6 bedrooms make sure your house septic is adequate according to your Township laws about occupancy limits) but in order to get booked compared to other houses, you need to look Instagram ready.

Most of my capital came from private, hard-money lenders and other friends and family who could see the opportunity in single family homes in our markets.