it is very difficult - much more difficult than advertised, and more difficult now than it was a few years ago because of the increase in interest rates and the heightened competition for distressed deals.the issue is this: you're up against other investors and businesses spending tens and sometimes even hundreds of thousands of dollars a month on marketing. 

Now, let's break that down…- A median single family home is $543,000 (up 2% from last year)- A median townhome is $377,000 (Down 5% from last month so appreciation has slowed down significantly here: https://tmls.stats.10kresearch.com/infoserv/s-v1/IFbq-ZfR)More quick stats:- Homes went for 1% under asking, indicative of a less competitive market typical of fall- ⅓ of homes experienced at least one price drop- Homes sat about 21 days on market- Sellers has 10 showings before going pending- There are about 3,100 homes for sale, which is up 10% over last yearWe continue to see more options to choose from, more flexibility from sellers, and cyclical dips in prices across the board.

I look at our direct competition and we are still the best value on the lake for the space.

Brokering is too competitive for you to put up with that crap.I would never sign anything broad, overreaching, or in perpetuity.

One approach could be to reach out to tax professionals in other states with lower costs of living, as they might provide quality services at more competitive rates.

Secondly on a single location policy who is everyone finding to have the most competitive costs?

They have competitive rates and I’m familiar with their branches as well as their online platform.

The pre-qualification letter only says they've quickly looked at your application and think they can do the loan - not good enough in a competitive market.Some listing agents are requiring the buyer be pre-approved by the agent's lender of choice. 

A key takeaway from this deal was the importance of acting quickly in a competitive market.

There are so many short term places today that competition is tough, so adding something no other property has, being creative in design, something like that to stand out, people want a unique stay, and with a fixer-upper, you can do whatever you want!