To get the full effect of how I first saw it, I'm going to have to ask you to imagine a raccoon sitting up on top of the bed.If it were mine I would curb appeal this place to make it desirable to a new buyer, and just leave some meat on the bone so they say, as far as the interior and the upgrades.

Cons: Market competition can be high in desirable areas.

Reading has it's reputation but like any area, I'm sure there are more desirable areas than others.

Just curious, would you pay for a Driving for Dollars list in your desired zipcode or a boots-on-the-ground person?

I am not offering it to everyone but if you IM me I will provide it to you (I did not create it so the reason is not that it is privilege, I just do not desire a dozen requests)..good luck

They're just not a desirable place for a family with options to live.

She does not want to live in the house so we are trying to figure out a reasonable strategy for leveraging the house to buy a property that is in a more desirable location. 

In Southern California, multi-family properties offer potential for appreciation along with some cash flow, given the steady population and desirable market, but higher property costs, taxes, and insurance can eat into your profits, and finding a suitable unit in your budget might be competitive.

Depends on how long it takes to reach your desired credit score.

Well Don, it depends on the desirability of the asset to other possible buyers (As guessed at by me), as well as if the offer is predetermined to be a lowball offer.Some sellers do not have a lot of ability to go down much and a plethora of buyers may drive the price up above what I think it should sell for .