Originally posted by Thomas S.:Have

I wanted a mirror in the bathtub/shower so i could see when i shaved.

Keep your expenses in a position that you can shave off 30% in one afternoon with some strokes of a pen.

Either job is tough I don't want to give the impression real estate is simple. its not and 50% that try it blow out first year.. but that's better than the 90% who try wholesaling blow whatever money they have and figure out its way to hard  and not really that profitable when you consider the fixed over head that has to keep on churning.Granted like all things cream rises to the top.. and there are wholesalers of course that make money and some in little honey hole locations will trade real estate like used cars.. by that I mean low value assets trading at 5 to 50k per house.. but that AINT the west cost. 

Also just started a flip outside of Richmond that should be ready in April and will post next year when that one is finished.Purchase Price- 3 bed 1 bath at $162,000Rehab- $+/- 7,000 (did all the work myself, design by my wife)Sale Price- $192,800Scope of work- Install cattle fence around 3 quarters of the property- 2.05 acres and fenced in run with chicken cooppaint every roomface framed the kitchen cabinets and painted two tone- Upper cabinets Cream/white  Lower cabinets Grayrecess lighting in kitchenadded new dishwasher (did not have one)moved the laundry room to better fit the kitchenrenovated the bathroom to include a window and concrete sinknew heat pump and furnace new wide updated trimpainted outside of the house and upgraded the landscaping 

Buy quality and be patient...lots of wholesalers and flippers are going to get CREAMED...again...just like last time because of time risk...buy and hold has far less time risk, but you still need a deal.

I know SD is ludicrous expensive but look wher you can locally or you may get creamed.

Your prices are also conservative and you should be able to shave money off on a few of them.Appliances, cabinets, paint and even flooring you should be able to trim the costs down some (especially if you are doing material costs only).I can also say that if someone is getting all that work done, plus some electrical and plumbing for $6-7,000 that is completely unrealistic.

@Thomas S., have to consider local code for driveways which may not allow for gravel.

In other words are we in an Ice Cream Debate, with you attempting to confirm that REI is the best by denigrating stock investing?