@Andrew Fielder  real estate is belly to belly

The chamberlain MyQ can be added to existing units with a few simple upgrades one device connects to the garage door opener and a gateway that connects to the home router.Another inexpensive upgrade could be a Z-Wave switch that controls the interior or exterior lights that could increase ones sense of safety when getting home late.Also the Ring Door bell is a great value and safety add plus when combined with the door locks or garage door you could use it to screen deliveries or contractors and let people in on the fly while sitting in traffic on the 405 or a Highway near you.So with these basic smart home upgrades that almost any handyman or contractor could install rather the alternatives for little to no additional expense other then the materials.As far as padding the price or getting a return that is going to very from market to market and your renter/buyer.

To them, I'm sure I'm some fat cat investor--not just someone else holding a mortgage, trying to do better than watching my retirement IRA dwindle away.  

They are 100% perfectly fine with getting the 4% they were promised, it's when everyone goes belly up (2009 etc) that the taxpayers are on the hook.If rates go up and they need to unload those loans to buy some at future-higher rates because they want to make more money, they can sell the older lower rate 4% loans off on that same secondary market to gain access to that capital needed to buy some 7% loans.

Berkshire Hathaway could go belly up and I'm stuck with nothing. ( I highly doubt that will ever happen) but I mean I hardly consider buying property a gamble.

Companies went through some consolidation to trim out the fat due to rapid expansion since 2012.

Ryan Dossey  I learned RE from my Dad.. and he had one tenant   ITS a belly to belly business.. but again this is the 60 and 70's when he was teaching me.. and pre internet and all. 

I like to do it right before it gets dark and they come out.They belly up to the fermented feast, drink away, get drunk and fall in and drown to death (also a possible moral to this story for humans, too, that I share with my kids when I show them the dead slug bodies floating in the beer).. 

You're going to spend about $4,000 in appraisal, title, escrow, lender, due diligence inspection for yourself, bla bla bla, fees, that you will never get back, as well as the big fat giant $7.50 per $1000 purchase price transfer tax.With that in mind, go spend a few hundred to talk to a lawyer that knows this stuff well.

Hey everyone,I'm not a big blogger or poster mainly just lurk, but I wanted to share my story for anyone who is interested. I have been out of the real estate game for a while "claiming I was too busy" and found Bigge...