We are even considering Edmonton or Calgary but that idea might too much of a stretch.

I may be overpaying but I think the potential is pretty great compared to what I've seen the last three months.Negotiation update: I'm at 292k and they are at 295k I pretty much stretched it as far as I will go.

style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 22px; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; position: relative; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(52, 65, 77); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; height: 136px;">I have worked with different property management companies.

I'd prefer to leverage that capital and make more, you don't have to leverage to the max, but you can stretch your dollars further.However, to your point and question; if you pay down early, you lose options and gain nothing.

Yes eventually you'll run out of down payment money unless they are all true BRRRR's but you'll still stretch your money further this way and get the benefits of being able to leverage into more properties than if you were to just blow your wad as a down payment into a full market priced property in hopes that it will appreciate over time.  

I'm a pretty frugal guy so I don't like to stretch myself too thin. 

And I don't think it's a stretch to assume that probably the vast majority of the buying at the bottom was investors not homeowners, since it was being reported cash purchases were at all time highs. 

I *think* I could put this thing on the market for $275-300k and it would go quick but honestly would be happy with an appraisal around $200k because I only need to pull about $45k for what I want to do so $200k would be sufficient to do that.ETA thus only needing to refi a loan of approximately $140k which doesn't feel like too much of a stretch to me - I feel like they could work with it if they wanted to... alternatively, I could wait until I've paid down the new loan some and then refi once its back in the 70% LTV range which I could likely do in a couple years time

Still rented out.Final numbers/budget break-down are shown in excel below.Final Renovation Budget Dec 2017Key lessons learned>Incorporate security into renovation plans>>Allocate budget for fencing, securing perceived weak points and window coverings >>Time is money – I could have subcontracted a lot of this work out very early on and finished the house in <4wks vs letting it stretch out over seven months, two break-ins and a hurricane, not to mention lost rental income (could have rented the bedrooms out starting in late April vs mid-July)Stuff I can do now that I couldn’t before>Install flooring and baseboard (market rate is $2-3 sq ft for labor)>Remove a toilet, floor a bathroom and install a new toilet in <90minutes>Remove/Install sinks>Repair exterior housing>Backsplash tilingNow for the before & after photosScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.04.11 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.04.25 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.03.56 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.05.21 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.04.55 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.06.24 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.06.16 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.06.08 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.04.40 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.05.37 AMLIVINGBEFOREAFTERScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 6.50.41 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 6.50.50 And the final professional photos - not bad for a $24k rehab!

I was hoping for 110 but new that would be a stretch and that 105 was more realistic.