I'm doing the taxes myself be it right or wrong so please spare the recommendations if they are for either of the above.Thanks in advance for any help!

Feel free to PM, I can spare some time for a lunch!

I do go online for some fixtures but mostly peruse the clearance rack at HD and Lowes every time I am there for lighting and faucets.When I buy batches online however, I am often stuck with an item or 2 that sits in my spare parts box for months.

We always find projects to stuff our spare cash in.

Hi everyone, I hope this is the right sub forum for this.I'll be showing the two spare rooms in my house to a few possible tenants next weekend and just have a few questions about using MySmartMove (MSM).I have the cookie cutter rental application I got from the local apartment association here in L.A. that requests Driver Lic, SSN, Addresses, Employment, Banking, Credit References, etc.It is my understanding that a major benefit for the renter using MSM is not having to disclose this information to me and do it all online through TransUnion.

He offered to let me keep half of the rent collected for the spare bedroom, if I found a renter.

How far out you will base apartment rents will be if you are in a urban core,suburban,or rural location.The more compact the less people will travel to move from apartment complex to complex.Suburban and rural you will need a bigger ring radius for evaluation.If there have been a bunch of foreclosures for apartments or you see foreclosure notices or upon looking at tax records see many sales at lower values then you have to be very cautious as to rent values.Those properties bought at a lower value the new owners will drop below market rents to fill fast for cash flow.If they have a much lower debt service than you will on purchasing it can kill your rental business.I have seen this happen in a few markets."

While the higher courses provide excellent education, they are propbably not what you are looking for at this time.Although its over 50 years old, Nickerson's classic book How I turned $5000 into $5 million Investing in Real Estate in my Spare Time is still the best, no BS, book written about rehab and renting out there.

Over the past year, studying investing in my spare time has become a very active hobby; I day trade forex in small amounts, buy and hold stocks (dividends + selling occasional covered calls), and have been trying to in general be very frugal and conservative (no cable TV, negotiated down all my living costs, got a roommate in to cover the mortgage) and put away a very large percentage of my income.

I even keep a spare.