A bust deal worst of all.Its a saying I made to help me always remember when Im in the rush of the heat of the moment (we all know that feeling, especially at auction :D ).Sometimes you just need to saddle up and ride off into the sunset onto a different region with better returns.Ultimately, its about making a profit, not about convenience, about simplicity, or about "ease of access".We didnt work W-2s because it was "convenient" we did it because rent was due on the 1st, late by the 5th, and evictions occur 35 days after lol.Investing requires a high amount of discipline, and the consequences are high.

If this is really something that you would like to get into I would suggest looking into getting your real estate license for educations and ease of finding more deals.

At this stage as mentioned if you can obtain and deliver a senior payoff to ease the diligence of your buyer that is likely your best bet.  

Learn proper saving habits and spending habits to help ease the process.  

With 2 of them stated as "rent ready" Owner has been self-managing due to ease with rent payments being automatic.Here are the numbers once stabilized:Asking Price: $529000 (Last sold May 2006 for $510,000)Offer price?

For these scenarios, unless I am getting a heck of a steal, I make this a task for the seller as a condition of the sale.Got someone on month to month and just want to ease the transition and minimize damage and eviction expense in the event they don't vacant peacefully....I would go in with $500 plus their full deposit back.Naturally, I assume your situation is somewhere in between those scenarios and logically, so would be my answer.

What is this tension I am missing between agents and investors???

Your input further makes me feel at ease with regards to the need to report improvement costs to the IRS only at the time of sale and not earlier.

Some rents are easing, but rentals and pricing are remaining high.

:) Very true, Rachel.Of course, the ease of entry in the stock market reflects the risk of loss - they are directly proportional.