if its a listed deal, chances are if it says the seller wants cash, that doesnt mean they would not look at a financed offer. that being said, I look for money when I dont need it and build relationships at banks. and put lines of credit in place on my paid for assets so i can get cash when i need it.  

I will say, if you walk there is a chance they will come back to you with a sweeter offer.

MJ, any chance you can post to this thread the text from whatever contract you ended up with (MINUS ANY SENSITIVE INFORMATION of course)?

Now if you had like $50K to have an architect do the drawings, have a put contract on the land, and hire some marketing people to circulate your plan, you would probably have a 25% chance of this happening.

I've just purchased my first investment property so haven't had a chance to use it yet.  

thanks @Joseph Scorese For the most part chances are I would be taking on full gut rehabs and ones that may need additional square footage.

I'd think the chances are good that most everyone in real  estate can pluck out some good information that could yield  savings many times over the cost of a book.That takes me back to see an accountant sort of, the more you know and understand the cheaper professional services might be.

It's easier to get a car loan than a mortgage and so you don't want to mess up your chances of getting denied for a mortgage.  

The lower volatility of prices means less chance of a "home-run" appreciation deal in a short window of time.  

This will give you a ton of capital to really have the chance to quit your job and have income from properties.