I think if people knew the extent to which (mostly) Democrats were up to their eyeballs in this, Pelosi and the gang would be out like 1994...http://www.portfolio.com/news-markets/national-news/portfolio/2008/07/16/Countrywide-Deals-ExposedThe problem this election cycle is the Republicans are mostly RINOs- including McCain, and there's no conservative intellectual core anymore.

[/size] :protest: I check County Records daily, I probably know more about market value than 90% of Realtors, who are simply incapable of telling the truth.Check 2-3 real estate sites daily, others on a weekly basis.The market is extremely dead right now.Only 1-2 Condos sell daily in this City (100,000 pop plus)The Fannie Freddie bailout will quickly change this, (I hope)I think my $105K is conservative .The last Unit in this complex sold for $154K, (Fall 2005)The Unit was an end unit , and it was in mint condition,I was briefly in the kitchen talking to the owner, glancing about..

You want to be conservative with this number, not aggressive.

They send over comps of the area, break down all numbers conservatively and show what cashflow you could get from it.

My methodology is very very conservative.

To be conservative, let's assume 50%.

They are hungry, but much more conservative.

Even with a more conservative 50% for expenses, its still positive, though just.

However, the fund managers use conservative investment vehicles so as to not "break the buck" or end up with a share price less than $1.

Simple calculationRent: $450Expenses: $180 (40% of rent)NOI: $270P&I: $155cash flow: $115Looks OK to me.With a more conservative expense ratio of 50%, it looks like:Expenses $225NOI: $225Cash flow: $70If you're doing the property management and minor maintenance yourself, that's another $45-70 in your pocket each month.Why 20 year amort?