We are newbies to all of this and am so fascinated by success stories like yours! 

I was fascinated when he talked about renting to vacationers, businessmen, military, etc with his property in Manassas, VA.

**Divide # years down to a per month cost.Roof - 25 years - ~$9,000 - monthly cost $30HWT(2) - Replace both with 3 years most likely - $2,500 - monthly cost $70Electrical - Replacing both panels in year 2- (now already completed) $2,000 - $165 / month in first yearFurnaces/AC - replacing all within 5 years - (one replaced now) - $5,500 ~$90 / monthSo this is certainly not an exact science but this was how I originally looked at it (after purchase) ... not sure if I would have bought it had I thought all the way through it but it got me into the game and has worked out great for me.

As a real estate agent, I'm always fascinated by houses that sell very quickly with multiple offers.

How to remove mildew:1) repair leak where water is coming from2) rip out damaged drywall and framing3) let area air out to allow all moisture to escape4) replace framing/drywall It's not rocket science, people try to make this more difficult than it needs to be

Ain't exactly rocket science.

This isn't rocket science and looking back it is pretty easy.  

It's not a perfect science of course, and there are bumps in the road, but it avoids inheriting a known problem.As for a property manger not running a credit report, that seems crazy!  

After discovering my fascination with real estate several months ago, I have been researching and listening to BP podcasts nonstop.

It's, unfortunately, more of an art than a science.