. $11k in fuel expenses last year on a 3 unit, 5 BR building grossing $27k.

If yours exceeds that, you won't get much value for the excess.

But if there is nt something like excessive repairs you found out about after getting it under contract, the seller may not want to go back to the table.

Ok, I'm not actually going to buy but, I've been looking at this site excessively, and decide to give my valuation skills a go.

The client specifically told me he wants in excess of 20k down to make it worthwhile to hold a note.

They have to be consumed or they go bad.Food prices are going up, but a lot of that is transportation costs due to the cost of fuel.

How about management, advertising, entity maintenance, insurance, evictions, setouts, legal fees, damage done by tenants (in excess of the security deposit), lawsuits, utilities (at least during vacancies), capital expenses (not technically an operating expense), etc, etc, etc?

SORRY....THE BANKS HAVE MADE ME BITTER FOR THE MOMENT...Then to TOP IT OFF....YOU HAVE ACCESS TO FOREX PRINCIPALS IN THE INST BANKING INDUSTRY THAT HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO DO THE CURRENCY CONTRACTS IN EXCESS OF 5 B AND UP...YET THERE'S NO REAL USD PROVIDERS TO BE FOUND TO MAKE YOU BE BETTER THAN A LOTTERY WINNER!

Unless you qualify as a "real estate professional", you wouldn't be able to deduct your excess passive losses (losses that exceed your passive income) against your other income.I know you're hating to pay all those taxes.

Except from Economist April 12th 2008The great American slowdown"The doughty American shopper is being pummelled by four things: the housing bust, the credit crunch, higher fuel and food costs and, most recently, a weakening labour market.