In the case of the stolen furniture I would also ask how did the police offer develop the competence to read a lease and decide that was a reason to not pursue the case? 

Is any bank offering a HELOC based on the combined equity?

San Diego is a competitive RE market with decades of near top of nation appreciation and rent growth.  

I came across a firm (KBKG) that offers a $400 DIY cost study (paying for a membership). 

Did you use standard offer contract for your jurisdiction? 

@Rae Chris Ann Arbor is pretty expensive, so difficult to find cashflowing rentals.You may want to look in Ypsilanti - if you want to stay in your area.Otherwise, Metro Detroit offers a LOT of options.Read our copy & paste below for some helpful info:---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

They were asking 450k for it and we offered 420k.

, it's still highly unlikely that an appraiser would have given value to this bathroom in any case, so we're not losing anything from an appraised value standpoint.Seller should be more than OK with it once you educate them on the fact that of all the offers they are evaluating, yours is the only one willing and able to execute a plan to close on-time, without delay, in spite of the flagrantly illegal and unpermitted bathroom.

@Jake Andronico A reverse 1031 exchange allows you to buy a replacement property before selling your relinquished property, offering flexibility in competitive markets and deferring capital gains taxes.

Yes, it's crucial to get the right structure in place—setting up an LLC in the state where you're operating can offer liability protection.