Everyone's situation is different and there are more than one way to skin cat, but I have significantly more than 10 loans and basically don't do it the way anyone here is talking about.

If you are essentially getting a 100% mortgage you have no skin in the game. 

In today's market lenders are wanting you to put skin in the game and 20% down is the standard unless you find hardmoney or a private lender to finance the whole thing.Starting out I would invest in my home town.

My greatest concern is buyer;s remorse, furniture not fitting like they thought, no skin in the game on their part. 

This is a new step for me so maybe with experience dealing skin probates or deceased sellers can help. 

Either way, there is always going to be some balance that the borrower needs to be able to cover as "skin in the game".

Either they tell you glowing things (which could be because the applicant is a great tenant, or a horrible tenant they want to get rid of), or they're scared of liability so they'll say nothing at all (q.v., Dawn's great story).

@David White, I would say make sure you have thick skin.

They told me I needed some skin in the game and wanted a $1200 deposit.

If you income is not exposed to the courts you have has less skin in the game.