Done correctly they are safe and smart and will likely net you more at the closing table than a traditional sale.As a landlord, dealing with tenant/buyers usually means less tenants and toilets to deal with. 

Also, I’ve never believed it was smart to be buying courthouse auctions at a distance....the local investors have much better local knowledge than you.....if you outbid them, there is likely not a good reason for it.

I agree that a smart long term investor should focus on cash flow and that's where my primary focus is.

You Might find a lender who would let you in with no money down, assuming your seller would take her $250k as a Second mtg, which of course wouldn’t be wise for her.You’re going to get suggestions to propose a sub2/ wrap mtg for the whole $400k...again, not smart for the seller.How much Do you have to put down?

It is smart, easy and low risk.

On the pragmatic side, it is very smart not to buy until you have enough financial padding to handle the inevitable expensive repair that will always come at a bad time.

Hemlane, on the other hand, has the SMART account with premium features that coordinate maintenance requests with professionals, 3rd party agents for property showings, and access to legal advice and documents.

A lot of investors will do this to be smart on the liability side as well as potential bankruptcies.

Smart people learn from their mistakes, wise people learn from the mistakes of others.

Don’t spent the money unless you’re in the $1M+ range and buyers start expecting smart lights and such.