The books say the take 1/2 hr to complete but It usually take me more like 2hrs not including the time for going to the property and taking the photos- I am pretty thorough and I don't make things up...I have heard that others have "scripts" and just cut and paste- so they cut the time.

All I knew about this family was 2nd-hand information: from the owner and from 2 different maintenance people who have been involved in the past.I gave the owner tips of what to do and agreed to accompany him as a photo taker.

They drive around looking for FSBO signs, knock on doors, talk to the owners, take photos, check to see if the house is in a flood zone, pull comps from the Internet, get permit/tax/assessors info and more, and then send me a packet with all the information.

I like letters as we have probably had more success, but am also a fan of a two sided color postcard.You can write out an address real quick, put a stamp on it and fire it off in seconds.Letters take a little more time.We have had good results on both.We like to keep an excel spreadsheet on all contacts with date of contact and results (talked to them, they called us, they want to sell, they dont want to sell, etc.).we also like to drive by those properties that people are on the fence or saying maybe - and take a photo of the property and create a file of notes for when the owner finally calls and says yes.i hope this helps - we have a few other marketing things we do but you just asked about postcards.Brad McLeod

That article seems to support the idea that I would not likely be considered a dealer with just one flip on my '07 return.Joe, I live in Aiken but I do spend a good bit of time in Charleston, which is where my avatar photo was taken (Chas harbor to be exact).

You can refi out into a conventional loan before 1 year is up but be sure to document everything that you do to add value and take lots of photos.

So unless the tenant has clear photos that show the house was absolutely spotless and in good repair, he probably isn't going to get anywhere with it.It's not going to be cheaper for the landlord to pay the lien, because the tenant who filed the false lien is going to be the one who pays for the lawyers for both sides (and hopefully does the jail time, too).The tenant is also probably going to also end up paying for all the little damages that landlords just repair without billing-- but if you are going to court, anyway, you might as well include them and get them paid by the tenant.

And while your looking - be honest with yourself.Make sure you look at any photos - read descritpions of any renovations that have been done and make sure your honest as to how it compares with your home.If you do use CL then be sure to drive by to see the hood and how it compares to where your home is located.

On the properties that I found for rehabing prior to finding out that it would not work for me, I put together almost book report style proposals for potential investors featuring repair costs, photos, my own blueprints etc.I want to thank all the experienced investors on the site for the valuable information they are willing to share.

Thanks Pics- http://www.flickr.com/photos/30354978@N00/2760290762/in/set-72157606703253014/