Try and get some equity and then figure out funding options for property #2 (which I definitely want to do).I question why you are looking at this property at all.

I figured the minimum increase to list in auction from the year before would have been enough.

Hi Caleb, so what you wanna figure out is if you are dealing with a broker or a direct lender. 

Hello all,I'm trying to analyze deals by plugging in the numbers into a spreadsheet, but I'm struggling to figure out what numbers to use for vacancy and maintenance?

My figures are below.TaxDeed Winning Bid: $489.00 (My Bid May 2013)Property Clean-up: $450.00 (mowing, trash removal)Taxes & Insurance: $80.00 (2013 & 2014)Sale Advertising: $130.00 (Signage, Newspaper Ads, etc)Filings & Legal Fees: $245.00 (Deed, Lien Releases, Sales Agreement Docs)Total Costs: $1395 (approx)Sold for: $3250.00 (August 2014)That is better than the 25% I would have received if the property was redeemed during the redemption period.

They bought the property with tenant in place for roughly $1.5mil under market value for property when vacant.

. - The appointment was generally about going over questions, but also another part of figuring out my investment appetite.

I get excited when new investors finally figure this out because their first deal then becomes a matter of when.

Instead, I just decided to head in "that direction" and figured I'd get to the destination eventually. 

If you want to be completely self-sufficient, you're willing to build an Earthbag home or another building that can be earthquake proofed but can still be run without public utilities, you can spend a ton of money on a well and can have that well water processed to remove contaminated mine crap, you have a great off-road vehicle and you can figure out how to deal with the flooding without redirecting that water onto someone else's land then you can definitely live there.If it's an Investment you're after, give that up.