I won't go into all the details, but there always ends up being a significant problem in the documents I get or don't get, in negotiations, etc, and the trigger never gets pulled.For a variety reasons in addition to the above, including my wife's encouragement, I've decided to take a serious look at going the real estate route instead.

Does anyone have recommendations for good, reasonably priced countertop installers/fabricators who do work in the north/northwest suburbs of Chicago, specifically around Prospect Heights?

We had to enter in holding costs, holding time (time value of the money), ARVs, rehab costs, a contingency reserve (a little extra to cover unforseen stuff), a reasonable profit margin, etc to get to a "Strike Price" as we call it.

Is this reasonable or do I need more money?

Definitely a very expensive lesson learned, need recommendations for a reasonable priced, good contractor please?

The property manager we work with offers reasonable rates for this service and will take care of inventory management, leasing, maintenance, and overall property management.Always buy a property that would also be a good long-term rental.

Don't see a reason to arbitrability only look at one or the other, just do the best deal available. 

The reason l'm looking into the Greater Boston are is because l'm from around the area(Belmont, MA specifically) and New London is relatively cheaper to get started compared to Boston from what l have seen. 

For reasons I don't yet understand, if the property is sold I cannot take advantage of a 1031 Exchange and my gains will be taxed as income, which will be 35% federal and 11.3% CA income tax. 

I have looked at getting involved in real estate for years but never pulled the trigger for one reason or another.