A real estate agent friend of mine said she was showing houses.  I said, “Anything I might be interested in?”  Her response was, “What are you looking for?”  I had never been asked that question before.  I thought a bit.  I’m a real estate investor focused on single-family homes I can rent out for more than the underlying mortgage/rent.  My primary interest is in “bread and butter” houses, i.e., three-bedroom, two-bath, two-car garage houses in relatively nice middle-class neighborhoods.  I don’t care about the underlying monetary terms like the size of the mortgage, interest, etc. I do care about the term, i.e., if the note is going to ballon (be due) in a short while that constricts me too much.  I am looking for people who are in trouble because they have to move, they’re going into foreclosure, they’re getting a divorce, probate, etc.  Many times, because of legal constraints and “ethical” constraints, a realtor cannot help them.  I recently talked to a guy who had to move to Las Vegas. I asked to rent it from him and then sublet it out.  He said, “No.”   I then said I’d take over his mortgage.  His realtor said that I was “trying to rip him off.”  He texted me that I was a sham artist, so he declined and his house went into foreclosure.  Ooops!  One lawyer told me taking over a mortgage was mortgage fraud.  Yep.  And, I told him, then “lend them the money.”  He declined.  LOL.  F**king lawyers. Every time I’ve taken over a mortgage, I paid the mortgage faithfully.   Yes, there are scammers out there, but that’s not me.  The idea is to help people out of a jam that their realtor can’t help them with; very simple.  So, that’s what I’m looking for.  People in need whom I can help.  I’ll look at the numbers and if they haven’t dug a hole too deep, I step in and help them.