@Julie Marquez like most ‘of the moment’ technologies, the smart home system you install now will be obsolete in three years.

Sooner or later solar cells will become efficient enough to make nuclear power obsolete except in space exploration.

We live in the digital age D4D, Bandit signs, DMM, it is obsolete.

I would also save some of it for contractors during due diligence because a wrong estimate can make everything else that you do obsolete.

Commercial brokers are generally well connected and will be able to connect a buyer to a good deal easily.Most of the time, the ones you see on LoopNet are the problem children: bad neighbourhood; functionally obsolete, etc.  

David i will share a similar experience...i  have converted 2 different duplex's back into SFD and looked at doing in with a few more. each time what i ran into is making sure the layout was not "functionally obsolete" or in other words.... look weird. so i removed walls and did lay out reconfigurations and ended up with a good SFD.  

IMO, you will not see another one in your lifetime, but it doesn't cost any money to wish so wish away.Living in the Silicon Valley, you have to learn to keep on innovating, or you will become obsolete in a blink of an eye.

(In my area, investors prefer brick and anything less than a 2 bath is functionally obsolete.)

It seems like the 3/1/1 layout is functionally obsolete, and yet very common in the Baltimore area.A lot of the 1/2 baths are in basements.

And make sure to account for the following expenses:1) Mortgage2) Mortgage insurance (PMI or MIP) or FHA Risk base3) Property Taxes4) City Taxes5) HOA (Home Owner’s Association) Dues and Fees and Assessments6) Insurance   a) Property Hazard Insurance (0.3-0.45%)   b) Flood Insurance   c) Earthquake Insurance   d) Umbrella Insurance7) Vacancy Rate (usually 8% - the equivalent to one month a year, or 5-6% if multifamily and/or if experienced, if not use 8%)8) Utilities (you’ll have these if your tenant is not covering them and/or during vacancy)   a) Water § Sewer § Garbage   b) Electricity   c) Natural Gas   d) Propane9) General Maintenance (usually 5%)   a) Upkeep § Landscaping   b) Snow removal   c) Repairs   d) New Appliances   e) Make ready10) Capital Expenditures (usually 5%, higher is the property is old and obsolete, less if fully rehabbed and all mechanicals and roof are new)11) Property Management (8%, even if you self manage, your time still has value and there might be a time when you'll want to be completely hands off or you'll not be able to do it, vacation, retirement, etc.), including...