They aren't like family members you'll have to face every holiday.

Next step for me is to be renting a giant dumpster, throwing out everything, and then getting some contractors to estimate the place.  

Sometimes we have to take care of things during a holiday, be up late at night due to emergencies, give up family time to fix up a place and get it ready to rent out again.If you don't have each other to talk to, to rant and rave with about this or that, that happened that day, then it's a pretty lonely place to be.  

I've decided to take the plunge and invest in real estate, and want to do so by house hacking with a duplex.I want to purchase sometime between summer and winter of this year (I hear that the holidays are the best time to purchase), and plan going to get a few mortgage preapproval / loan amount quotes.I've got a few questions that I would love to have some light shed on:1) What are some things that I can ask / look for in order to determine some intangible things about the lending institution such as:a) Willingness to work with me in order to get my loan approved (i.e. if I'm not going to get accepted for a loan, I'd like the person to at least think if there is a way for me to get accepted)b) Closing speed (i.e. how fast can the lending institution close a deal?)

I listed it that day, but had no showings during the holiday period, which is not unusual and sporadic showings since. 

Does anyone have any suggestions for great revenue generating areas (low buy in, high rental activity - even just weekends and holidays) - we are flexible and open to invest anywhere in the states!

I didn't sleep at a Holiday Inn last night, but I am a contractor in Houston...:)I can tell you the window quote is not out of line.

We now have an INC with an 800#, New puter, new giant calendar, etc.

During peak holidays, all hotels/motels are sold out (even with airbnb exploding here). there are jobs and more jobs coming back.I understand all the negativity but I'm an optimist and it has worked out here for me

I think with the holidays we may wait until January it's hard to find free space near BART in SF with all the office parties