All real estate is local so you need to attend local REIA meetings, any investor meetings you can find on MeetUp.com, local landlord association meetings.This is where you will learn who the players are in your area, how they find deals, how to estimate repairs, how to negotiate with sellers, which attorneys they use, which contractors, where they find deals.And finding buyers when you have a true deal is so easy.

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The opposite of those 3 are true with Offset mortgages.

Knowing where the owner is coming from allows me to pivot when needed or understand their true number and what financing options exist with them. 

I'm another abq local who is shopping for a mfr.

Local banks or credit unions will be your best bet and it might require some shopping around.

IF there is a recession not having the house of cards that is debt will put you in the most secure position, however just having the ability to purchase will probably be enough because in a recession sellers would have a harder time selling properties and in a true recession you wouldn't have an absolute ton of competition from cash buyers like the case is now.

I was not aware of that, and it could very well be true, but because this was not something we altered during the renovation, I don't feel it's our responsibility to address it now, after the home is sold.

This would even be more true if I were out of state and wasn't able to manage the work.

While the 50% rule is a crude rule of thumb it is a good starting point and keeps new investors from underestimating the true costs of holding rentals.