I let my contractor try the old hot tar and hydraulic cement trick but it clearly didn't work.

He put in a hot water heater, painted the upstairs walls white, put black shutters on the house, painted the deck grey, and painted the front door red.

and seeking some wisdom for a rookie.Interested specifically in Kissimmee/Orlando/Davenport as Disney market feels familiar to me and it’s generally a cheaper entry point than beach condos.Looking at Regal Oaks (staying here now on vacation myself and enjoying it, though have read mixed things about occupancy), Windsor Hills, and Champions Gate.Goal is to have a second home that I AirBnb out the majority of the year but also can escape to when NYC is ruthless (like now :) hoping to live in the 150-250K range, bonus if there’s a pool (regal oaks has community pool and individual hot tubs), and solid amenities.Other than reading for my life, how can I number crunch and prepare for this?

Foreclosures, short sales, and off-market deals can provide these opportunities.Target up-and-coming neighborhoods with increasing home values rather than already hot areas.Research comparable recent sales and get an inspection to accurately estimate the after-repair value (ARV) before making an offer.Follow the 70% rule - the purchase price plus renovations should not exceed 70% of the ARV to leave room for profits after selling costs.Focus renovations on maximizing returns - kitchens, bathrooms, curb appeal rather than over-improving.Hire experienced contractors and have a project manager oversee work to keep things on schedule.Price the renovated home at or just slightly below comparable recent sales to facilitate a quick sale.

Centennial allows them, but it's on the south side of Denver, and that's not quite as "hot" as the northwest and west sides of the metro area.

Posting too soon will just add more days to it being on market and when renovations are finished it won't be the "hot new" listing.

You haven't satisfied his "hot" button, whatever it may be.

Hot investment topic alert: Assumable mortgages and purchasing properties with one. 

In the hot areas in my market where we are using escalation clauses...it is standard practice to show the first page with names blacked out to justify the escalation amount.

But if those have to be dumped every week like a hot tub, maybe not.