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This week, 2 months later,  the PM sent another maintenance person out and found 2 issues:1. water leaking from the ice box water line.2. hole in bathtub floor that wasn't there in August 2017.Along with that, they provided an estimate for the extensive water damage due to these 2 issues.  

I am not overly-handy (I never owned tools until I bought a duplex) - so far I've done basic electric (installing an outlet, adding a junction box, putting in receptacles, removing breakers, fixing a 3 way switch -- all things an electrician wouldn't touch -- or would charge a couple hundred bucks to do, cost me about 7 dollars - literally), replaced an exterior door, removed rotten siding and put up new siding along with replacing the plywood behind it, re-built the rotten framing of a garage wall, installed a ceiling fan, and just about a thousand other things along the way.

Works in some places, doesn't even come close in others. 70% isn't really a rule either - every deal is unique, so if you peg yourself into these "rules" you will miss out on everything that just barely doesn't fit in the rigid box of rules. 

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We market the property at lower price and then discuss a sort of 'cost averaging' for that utility during lease signing.Here's another 'out of the box' idea - depending on your layout and climate - you may consider electric baseboard heat as a different option for heat, coupled with using window units for air....Jim

It really breaks investing down in a simple way that makes it something that the average person can do with some investment in gaining knowledge, thinking outside the box, and simply taking that first step in investing.I am currently in the process of selling my first investment property with a couple of my business partners and I am looking to go all in on investing moving forward. 

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The way the contract is reading I would think as such but maybe a Texas law would trump this shenanigan and still allow me to terminate once the lease is up regardless if one of the boxes are checked or not checked?

We see similar fact patterns every so often and without fail the deals blow up.If I understand the situation correctly, as a result of some mod program the loan amount has been reduced so the payment is affordable.