Since I've moved here 7 yrs ago, the city's offering more nightlife, unique restaurants, etc.

You make some solid points and I appreciate the warning vis-à-vis the dangers of concocting unique ideas. 

I wanted to pose this question to find out if anyone has experience finding creative lenders for unique investment deals where the aspect of cash flow is NOT part of the equation.  

I make sure the pictures are my own unique pictures, I do not have keyword banks on my listings, I make sure my posts are unique, and I also re-size all the pictures so they are not a large file. 

Ski towns are in a unique category of investment. 

Tuco N. this isn't unique to HOA foreclosures.  

The problem paying to learn from the mistakes made by others is that they will always thing the value of what they have to share is more valuable than it really is, most mistakes are unique, you'll never replicate the same situation of their mistake.If you're going to pay for an education, make sure your mentor is fully informed and current, many aren't.

Those were the other aspects I was referring to yes but:With the idea of the "principal being paid off":  You slowly begin losing more and more leverage in the property as you pay down the principal.           

HOA's are all unique and can be tricky!

For example, granite prices can vary greatly from the less desirable types of granite that may just look okay (that you find in some hotels), to slightly more expensive for good looking granite, and extremely expensive for those really unique cuts that look incredible.