None of this is meant as a deterrent to you but rather a suggestion to make sure you are not drawing conclusions to this asset class that may not be entirely correct.

A visual way to map out the flow of the rehab projects.http://masterpiece-dbr.com/uploads/Remodeling_Schedule.pdfThis link is one that a home-builder created.

Kitchen cabinets along that wall bulged enough to visually appeared crooked.

In the extreme, you may even consider hiring a security guard to sit in your driveway — or even in the home itself — though it can be hard to make an investment like that cost-effective, even if you get a deal at $20 per night.Of course, the best deterrent is making sure that the property is occupied — so putting some extra money into advertising and getting someone in there might actually be the best strategy.

Some people prefer to "stage " the home in the higher priced rental/sale market where as some people prefer to show the property vacant.It really depends on the market /area in which the property or you are catering to.Personally I don't stage anything, I prefer to show the property vacant so that prospective tenant can visualize the spacing and how their furniture can fit the space.

understanding how people make maps of the world generally they prefer visual representations, auditory, or feeling/touch (kinesthetics).

What you spend in having it properly staged & enabling the buyer to visualize their future life there ie; holidays, family, etc.You will recoup two fold because you will get out of there faster & even possibly at a better asking price.As Tom, V stated; look at their portfolio first & have a simple contract.The best argument for staging is that now the potential buyers choose what they want to see based on the online photos.Wish you were on this coast, I'd make you a believer.

Hey Stephanie, if you have never done this before, I would strongly urge you to consult a real estate attorney, because from some past dealings, it isn't just the sales agreement that is important, but all the disclaimers pertaining to abestos, earthquake zone, fire zone, landslide zone, visual inspection forms, smoke detectors etc etc, that shields you from liability and needs to be signed by both buyer and sellers.

There are some websites I've come across the create visual representation of statistics by scraping MLS data that might be useful.

I like showing things fully completed, but I've shown things that were 95% complete before and it wasn't a big deterrent.