At the moment we are contemplating something a little creative and rather risky as a means to eventually acquire a mid-sized apartment complex (just shy of 100 units).

 $20K seems to slim from an equity standpoint, especially if you're betting on appreciation.  

You can hedge your bets on the job by asking for a "not to exceed" bid.  

@Rose Davis your best bet is to approach an investor who you can bring value too.

@Omran S.Your best bet is to have a work history that supports the amount of money you want to borrow.  

I'm a betting man and I think you'll be looking for a refund of that $100.

I bet they made a killing there.Also I just thought of if you have family in other areas / states that you visit often you could look there or have them be on the look out for any good deals.

I think it depends on the size/population of the area you're looking.

Your best bet in my opinion would be try to get sellers to finance to you and put as little as they would accept.

Most installations assign housing areas based on rank and then family size, so most service members, in the middle ranks and with families, feel there is a better value to live off post where they can more square footage for the same dollar.I have not served at every installation and I have only served on Army installations, so my information and observations may be skewed.