I think your employer should be paying for any advanced degrees Unless you're in medicine or law where an advanced degree is necessary. by the bye Honeywell paid for my MBA but I paid for my Engineering degree when I started.

5) How can a blue collar worker with low to no personal assets/income work around this dilemma to obtain Downpayment for Hard money?

Maybe for Miami 4.85% COC is common but for me, personally, is way to low. 

He'll avoid a capital gains hit and get steady income for his first ten years into retirement (he was going to just stick the lump sum in savings or a CD), so I knew this would be appealing, even at a fairly low rate.Keeping my fingers crossed.

I like the look and longevity and low maintenance of it. 

This population is often ready to downsize or move into assisted living.Another is homeowners with a Low Financial Stability Score.

There are lots of reasons why the person isn't getting a loan even though they have that much cash: could be maxed on the number of loans (10 usually). credit issues, contractor (1099) employment, etc  It can sometimes help if the buyer can provide a credit report to make the seller feel more comfortable.Good luck and welcome to BP!

Let's say that you want to buy land and build a fourplex, however, you are newly self employed, and you won't qualify for mortgage loans for another 2 years, since banks need a 2 year tax return history. 

The values top out at around $300k and most homes sell the low $200ks.

I have recently finished reading No/Low Money Down and am trying to stay creative with my financing options but also want to make sure I fully understand the process and want to make sure that I am able to present a deal that is a win/win for both of us.