If you have a good credit history and 25% cash down and sufficient income obtaining conventional financing for up to four houses is actually very easy.If you don't have the above requirements, then you scramble to put together any deal until you have proven success and proven track record with which to attract private financing partners.Hard money borrowing eliminates many otherwise profitable transactions since the profitability needs to be much higher to pay the hard money rates.The hurdle with conventional financing is about 5%.  

How do I make myself attractive to hard money lenders if this is your first real estate flip, rehab, or long term property?

If there are attractions nearby that helps .

When trying to establish terms with a seller consider what would be attractive to him.

This insurance now stays for the life of the loan - it used to be removed once you had 20% equity, so FHA loans are not as attractive anymore.

The house was on the market for 500 days, not a short sale or a foreclosure.SO - how much more attractive in quantitative terms are cash offers?

I currently have offers on a duplex & a single family with a plan to hold four rental units by the end of the year, each producing a positive cash flow.

Erik Drentlaw ARV would be independent of rent for a SFR since SFRs are typically valued by market comparables.The income the property produces versus its cost basis determines the return on your investment.

As soon as the house is fixed, he can take out a HELOC and buy more properties at his leisure and produce more income.I'm not sure what the GAP system is but it doesn't sound much better than buying volatile stock. 

The sec8 voucher holders act as if their "**** don't stink" and are difficult to attract and get due to the competition from other landlords.