For example, a $5,000 mistake or unknown variable on an $80,000 ARV house can put you in the red.

So, this W2 flight to REI would not be on my risk list, as leaving a stable W2 job to jump into the vast world of the REI unknown without its education, experience, planning and forethought is like jumping off a cliff without a parachute.

@Ramon Moreno maybe you can check to see if there's a possible unknown leak somewhere because water expenses so far for us is about $25 per month/unit with families in each one.

I have one client from Aussie who bought a low end duplex in INDY 60k he rehabbed it 3 times in 20 months finally sold it and lost over 50k on it.. not possible for out of area folks to turn they hoods around if they are going to turn around it needs to be you local dudes. ( if you even want to) most locals won't touch this stuff this is why its owned by unknowning out of area people who got sucked into it...

These are the unknowns to me right now.... they'd like it as a buy and hold.

Unknown player?  

He replies back with a screenshot from his phone, of some unknown price list that was ridiculously high, and not quite clear from what source, claiming those are the going prices.

I don't know the legalities of this method, but think about your own experiences with unknown callers.

Calif), so avoiding red ink was impossible.Plan B was to investigate locations near good friends where we had good inputs to areas that were otherwise unknown to us. 

Try to chat with them and get identifications if you can....if you can't, address the eviction filing to unknown party in residence.