I'd power wash the surface of the deck before painting it.

If the estate is not solvent then he gets no fees.

Think of the meltdown as a rough storm that came and washed away all the sins of those who malpractice and called for regulatory guidelines to be put in place which in my opinion were long overdue.

I'll have to hold off on the REIA meetings as I'm not sure where I will be next and won't be back for a while now.As for your buddy, was he already settled into an area of investing while deployed?

Are they going to wash the walls down with TSP first?  

I have also put just about every penny I have into this so I am definitely committed.We are currently managing about 20 properties (and growing) and every day has been a blast...even the ones where I was covered in dirt and mud after fixing the sod we just laid before the torrential rains came and washed it all away.Oh and did I mention I also serve in the Texas Army National Guard? 

If the walls are not balloon frame and there are not too many cross-blocks, we could try to retain the inner walls and inject insulation, but the more of these we do, the less it seems to save us in the end ... the cost of drywall and mudding versus an effective air sealing and application of insulation.It has also been our experience that while materials are cheaper to air seal using poly & caulking and insulate with mineral wool, the labour required pretty much make it a wash with the cost of closed cell foam.Once we confirm our plans, I'll do a full envelope model on the house and share my results.  

I TSPed the walls up and washed them, and the top two layers of paint started coming right off as soon as I wet down the walls.

Maybe they can wash dishes, vacuum, or clean the house.

Doesn't seem very homey, having to go to the laundrymat.Or will you pay a bit more to have your very own brand new appliances, right in your home so you can wash a blanket when the baby barfs on it?