You might be able to get in the front of the line but even if you do get someone one the hook, it's still pretty risky.Keep in mind that most contractors are notorious for starting many projects at once and keeping them all in play so they will have a guaranteed workflow for many months.

There is an inability to absorb the increase in some areas so I am wondering how it will play out.

You contract from a seller, then sell to another buyer at an increased price, thus playing the middleman.

Her strategy is to pay down our first property considerably before buying another one, and my strategy is to buy as many as possible and use our current income to leverage more properties.We have a combined gross income of 250K and FICO scores north of 700 and are looking at properties in the 200-350K range in MA.I am not clear on the debt to income ratio and the role rental income plays in acquiring more properties.With the above figures (and provided my and my wife's risk tolerance reaches a middle ground), are there challenges with us acquiring multiple properties/year with conventional financing?

You just have to accept and know the rules of the game you are playing.

I've played the credit card game in the past.

Whether the lender wanted to play or not.

What kind of other role can my lender partner play so he feels part of it?

You literally make money in your sleep, when you are awake, playing with the kids/grandkids and even responding to a post on a forum. :)Here is a good rule of thumb to use...

I figured saying the ARV was about $175,000 was playing it safe but I dont want to undervalue the home too much and present too low of an offer to the seller.