welcome Jak and congratulations you seam to have come out the gate running.The smart thing is that slowed down to ask questionsthat's good ,you are in the right place.

We are great friends with Jim...smart dude!

It just drives me crazy when I see a smart, good looking, normal, happy and positive woman.

It cost them almost all of their possessions (which were land based) but it was a smart move, eventually the church they left in Germany became the Reich Church.

The premise is that you can scan with smart phone and the right software these QR codes and it will direct you to a page, video, etc. related to what is trying to be advertised.

While neither of these is a smart move, buying a property that doesn't cash flow and isn't appreciating (most likely for years to come) is a dumber move.

that's a smart suggestion Bryan!

I'm more just wondering my original first question: Is this a smart investment in terms of rents (have I calculated the costs accurately, and have my 50% rule right)

Buildup cash and start doing your own deals.Re-inventing the wheel will take you much longer to get going.Having someone to show you what is working and is not and preventing you from making the same mistakes is priceless.Yes winterizing you are wasting your time.On the REO's I list if the property is priced right I don't need a middleman wholesaler trying to put under contract cheap and collect a fee.The right price will bring me plenty of direct cash buyers that can close fast.Asset managers sometimes have over 100 files to deal with and don't have time for investors with no money to try exotic ways to make money.Sometimes those deals work but many times they do not and the asset managers plays the percentages.Now if you have cash to purchase sometimes you will catch the bank on the right day when all the planets line up and they will take a low offer and dump it which will make it easier to wholesale.Forget all these people who say things are easy and try to sell you something.Nothing is easy and takes smart work and time management.The question at the end of the day is do you enjoy doing it??

I wished I was smart enough to keep my money instead of paying taxes on it.