(I need to check with my service to see if their inquiry constitutes a soft or hard credit check.)

You need to assemble "soft commitments" of 1.5 to 2x the amount of money you will need to take down a deal, because there are always people who will drop out, no matter how "into it" they seem when you talk with them.Five, start looking for deals.  

I believe >400k is still soft.

Is the timber hardwood (oak, hickory, etc) or soft wood (pine)?

There are certainly pro's and con's to a soft-hit vs. hard-hit method of tenant screening.  

I can get a letter from my bank within an hour and the wording is so soft that it commits them to nothing.

For hard costs (note that this doesn't include soft costs) on a no-frills 2-family on a standard lot in a place like Newark, your starting point could be somewhere in the $150-200/SF range.

The process and procedures protect the business from law suits (fair housing) they protect it from "soft Mike" getting in the way and putting more of a risk on the business than makes sense.Just my 2 cents and good luck!

The condo market is pretty awful, the townhouse market is very soft.  

She didn't skimp on quality, either—the cabinets are full-wood (which will last much longer than cheaper materials) and even have a soft close, a popular kitchen trend that will definitely stand out during the big reveal (see ch. 4).