@Jon HoldmanThank you for all your input. as a first time home buyer going through a 203k, its been quite the learning experience. a sort of crash course on real estate. 

My insurance dropped me after a made a large claim ( car crash into house).

I assume, for you, most (or all) winter acquisitions have turned out well - meaning no unpleasant surprise in the Spring when things are easier to see.Has anyone had the opposite experience and found out in the Spring that there are large expenses for things like foundations, siding, or roofs that weren't detected because the property was inspected while snow and ice were present? 

Hi everyone, I've been in real estate since the late 80s and took a big hit in 2007 when the market crash, I'm just trying to get back into it.

Hi everyone, just trying to get back in the market after 2007 crash.

If I "don't play the game" then these homes sit even longer to the point of non repairable, the homes around it drop in value, the druggies have a place to crash, kids in the Neiberhhood can be injuried .

Here are the final stats (not sure if this will copy and paste correctly): Purchase Info Square Feet (2 Units) 2,492 Purchase Price $165,000 Initial Cash Invested $49,727 Income Analysis Monthly Annual Net Operating Income $1,032/mo $12,387/annually Cash Flow $414/mo  $4,973/annually Financial Metrics Cap Rate (Purchase Price) 7.5% Cash on Cash Return (Year 1) 10.0% Internal Rate of Return (Year 20) 16.9% On the land lording side, I was forced into a crash course when I had to kick out one of the tenants due to non-payment of rent.

There have been a few pundits predicting a major real estate crash in the next few years.

I write this way - frankly, with no hand-holding - to inform you of another viewpoint, a perspective formed by some valuable (albeit unpleasant) experiences.

I don't ever plan to make this a full-time gig as my career as an engineer is fun and rewarding, but I like the idea of owning multiple properties and the financial flexibility that comes along with that.My wife and I purchased a new construction home in 2009 and took advantage of the $8k homebuyer credit.  6 years later we are selling our home at roughly a $15k loss, which is certainly unpleasant.