I'm licensed to practice real estate in California, however I'm from Georgia and earned my bachelor's degree from Penn State University.

@Jacob McPhersonOutstanding question, a lot of people start their marketing without having practiced talking to sellers and you gave a great example.

My name is Adrienne and I am a practicing Pediatric Occupational Therapist and Business Owner. 

But, my question is whether or not this is still a practice that takes place, is it legal, is it frowned upon?

@Patrick Silveira, I don't practice in Massachusetts, but generally for the most part, the short sale process is the same and to some extent the foreclosure process.

I'm looking for best practices to employ while shopping for mortgage loans for investment properties (small multi-family and SFR).  

I think that this is a good practice until you are confident enough in your own rehabbing assessment to determine a SOW just as you're walking through.

I am a very practical person when it comes to the numbers.

I am not referring to the Ninja loans but some practical guidelines that encourage responsible lending and promote home ownership.I am not trying to make this a political post but I would like to see what the consensus fellow BP'ers think.

He's an investor and attorney with many years of experience so he brings both practical and legal experience to the game.