I've also been focusing more on my career to continue padding my savings for future investments.Anyway to the point - my neighbor who has lived on this block for 50+ years wants to sell because his wife passed last year and it's a lot of house to take care of (18' wide, 1575 sq ft 3BR /2 bath, 2 story).

That’s awesome you’re thinking about flipping — and being a contractor already gives you a huge advantage when it comes to controlling rehab costs and timelines.It’s smart to pad your rehab budget with a contingency — I’d recommend 20–25% minimum in these cases until you can inspect it fully.

.$18.99 Any Size - Arch Studio waterproof mattress pad. 

When bids come back, pay close attention to outliers—if one contractor is way higher or lower than the others, that can indicate either padding or misunderstanding.

Change orders almost always come up, so it's smart to pad your numbers.Structural: Foundation evaluations are usually free, so it’s worth getting that early.General: When you do your inspection, ask the inspector to flag all non-cosmetic issues—you can turn that into a working list.Interior: If you bring a clear list of what you want done, most contractors will build you a rough scope for around $300.Projects like this can definitely work, but tight budgets just need tight planning.

Book recommendations Set for Life - Scott trench rich dad poor dad- Robert Kyosaki perhaps, sitting down and thinking with a pad and pen.

Unfortunately, it's pretty common. a $12K turn on a unit without capex that you were aware of is generally either poor management or they're just adding a ton on to contractor invoices to pad their pockets. 

I like markets like Reno, NV because they check a lot of those boxes—steady population growth, a mix of tech and outdoor lifestyle appeal, and you can still find value if you look beyond the obvious.Building a team is like hiring for a business—expect interviews, reference checks, and some budget padding for surprises.

I think you should focuse your efforts on house hacking but it's really difficult in Charlotte to do as there's not many duplexes available for purchase where the numbers make sense.Id suggest going the route of buying a home with cosmetic fixes required, make those and then consider renting it out and reappraising it and cash out -> repeat  Alternantively on the lines of house hacking considering going the pad split route, depends on if you're single or married or what your end goal is. 

Material costs are what they are today, but you don't need a GC padding numbers for sure.