You also need to know which expenses get capitalized, which get deducted, and which you have to eat. 

Eat sleep breathe Real Estate.

They have to eat it or inhale airborne particles (usually only occurs when sanding the paint and dust becomes airborne).Lead paint is not as common as people think and the risk is pretty low.

Those paint strippers will eat right through organic vapor catridges in a respirator, and they really don't work all that well anyway without multiple, repeated applications.After the heat gun, you might want to try the Citristrip product on trouble spots.

I just joined several months ago and am eating up the podcasts.

Transaction costs, taxes, refinance fees eat your lunch transacting often.

I love to eat and learn!!

In your case, you can have your cake and eat it too, since Michael Plaks is in your backyard.

I found one area I really like but the homes are so old I am worried about repairs eating into my roi.

And there is less to maintain, and cost to get in is generally cheaper.The downside, is the HOA fees will eat a lot of cash flow, the turn over is higher I've found as they would rather live in a house than a complex.