Then they won't need an upfront payment for work they haven't provided yet.Also, get a signed contract, copy of the drivers license, contractor's license and be added to their liability insurance.

But from my limited time in the game, I’ve found that my complete lemons are cash cows a few years later as market rent comes up well and my cap ex fixes a few years ago have paid off.

However, definitely worth a look.Zillow might work aswell, but definitely has it's limitation.

My business partner and I bought into it  quickly saw its limitations then just as quickly canceled our service  within two weeks.

We invest in 38109 on a limited basis when a client requests properties in the area, but further north and east.

So money can be made.The downside of syndications is that you have no control of the deal as a limited partner...  

However, be prepared for limited inventory, higher competition, and possible compromises.

It just feels like I’ve been making a lot of short term sacrifices for long term gains and I have to be really diligent with money management. or I could also just try to borrow money for the renovation, and pay off the line of credit over time, but I feel like that really would limit me and if the stock market(my collateral) went down I could also see some trouble. 

. -- appears to have some properties that would cash flow well, but may be limited on long-term appreciation.I'm looking to stick to market-rate properties.  

Seems like a liability as long as you continue to own this property.