Many places in the world where I've worked, renting is for more prevalent - often more so than owning.  

That is playing a major factor in housing prices.Flipping is prevalent across ENY, which I'm reading as a sign that there are good deals and people who are willing to pay higher prices.  

Many of the issues of predatory dealing are not really new, some of the aspects mentioned have been around a long time, just not prevalent as much in cases against crooks.

(don't know how prevalent these are in your area) You can still get an FHA loan for up to four units - I think the downpmt may be somewhat higher than 3.5, not sure.

I'm seeing 1.2% with some borderline "B-" areas(that I'd prefer not to be in) and investors are snatching these up with the "buy now or be priced out forever" fervor that was prevalent prior to the last crash. 

We also have size and scope of the borrower of the collateral, what loan risks are more prevalent?  

Loans scams in this financing niche are a problem, as I said, and the top 3 scams found most prevalently include:1.Fees paid prior to closing a loan: Also called upfront fees, there are a lot of fake lenders who pretend to be funding loans but instead are having borrowers pay upfront fees.

It is more prevalent in low income areas, true, but it still happens with luxury homes.

One of the problems is, how do we DO and avoid the costly mistakes which are so prevalent when on our own?

Not to mention the DPA (down payment assist) programs available out there for first time buyers.Education is KEY to getting more people on board to buying, and it is just a prevalent issue that some people just put it in their head that they "could never own real estate" or it is not a "stable investment", when they are shutting the door to something that could potentially change their life.