The best thing I ever did was hire it out.Before I did that the best thing was having the right tools.If you plan to do a lot of this you can buy a laser, a ridgid 10" wet saw, an angle grinder with a sharp diamond blade, and a standard tile cutter in the $200-$600 range with a sharp wheel.You want to lay all of your full tiles first and then come back for your cuts.

That said, some larger firms miss stuff, so there are diamonds in the rough, thus the "have to work for it".

Marie - there was a thread (now deleted) where "X-banker" aka Bob Diamond was providing his "course" to do something similar.

The key to making smart castle investments is knowing your rehab costs Will...I mean I can walk through a castle and estimate the cost of flaming arrow removal, 1600s exterior wall repair, and moat excavation down to the 1/8 ounce of diamond...can you?

Simon Wong I do plan on getting involved with at least the local Black Diamond REI Group and another local Boston AREIA.

Check out your local REIA club and Black Diamond event held monthly for some great networking with the movers and shakers.

Things are not cheap at all, however I'm optimistic about finding a diamond in the rough.

What I was simply saying is that finding those people that would truly allow someone to learn from them is definitely a diamond in the rough.

When we talked about getting married, I asked him, Can we buy a house instead of an engagement ring, because the one I really want would cost about as much, anyway (I know and love diamonds).

If you are considering being a Massachusetts landlord, you may be interested in our free Black Diamond event in Worcester on 5/21- the topic is Massachusetts landlording, and the speaker is from Worcester county.