We have expansive soils here (clay that expands when it gets wet) as well as some older cast iron lines and even some orangeburg so it's common to see sewer line issues (often just some tree roots that need to be cleaned then the line re-scoped).

Originally posted by @Michael Haas:@Adrian Chu we've been extremely curious about that strategy - essentially "Condo-izing" a single family lot.Was this a hold for you, or did you sell one or both of the units?

If paid by the lender (this is common for conventional financing, especially with retail lenders), the origination and/or underwriting fee is “baked” into the interest rate, therefore giving you a higher rate in exchange for lower out of pocket costs. 

Common utilities paid by the landlord will be similar if not the same; standard services (extermination, changing filters, snow removal, fire safety inspections etc.) will cost the same.Expenses will vary depending on the market.

of course he may have been a clueless dude in Indy and other markets and to me the money he was making just blinded him and his wife.. the move to Portugal was strategic to the extreme.

A common rhetoric is "if you find a good deal, the money will come"..in my experience that is false.

The two strategies you outlined are extremely helpful to consider..

Right now there are definitely more units available than average, but they aren't staying on the market for extremely long.

Important things to check include opening and closing every cabinet, looking under sinks, pushing on doors and cabinets, and checking commonly used areas.

Any losses incurred along the way are chalked up as inefficiencies / common area heating costs.Whether this is a good idea, IMO, is based on markets trends.