You might have found this one property but maybe next time the broker/agent has a smoking hot off market deal with a lot of equity.

We are also adding recessed lighting to the main living area, and those guys will be here in about 30 min - one benefit of owning a restaurant - my commercial electrician is giving us a smoking deal on the recessed lights (we've given them quite a bit of business over these last few months!).

I have seen her smoking on the balcony lately and asked around the neighborhood.

But taxes are about 10-12k per year on this property and the previous homeowner was delinquent for several years)Cash for Keys: $20,000 (The homeowner agreed to vacate by a certain date to avoid a drawn out legal process, which they threatened to do)Cleanout: $750 (The place was a complete mess)Initial Cleaning: $150 (I at least needed to get the place tidied up a bit before painters would come)Kitchen Repainting / Spraying Makeover: $11,500Fresh Paint on Most Rooms (Ceiling, Walls, Trims): $12,500Hardwood Floor (Sand, Stain, Re-finish): $4,500 New Carpets in all 4 bedrooms: $4,500Lawn Debris and Hydroseed: $6,000 (and weekly lawncare until sale but that was cheap)Electrician: $1,000 (Smokes Inspection and fixed a few recessed lights + other minor)HVAC: $1,000 (Garbage Disposal Replacement, HVAC filter replacement + othersWindow Cleaning: $500Mold Remediation: $1,000 (Bathroom Ceiling)Carpentry: $5,000 (Bunch of stuff)Miscellaneous Materials: $2,000Final Cleaning: $300Staging: $4,500New Washer and Dryer: $1,000 Total: ~$600,200 (+- 2-3k)Listed Price: 669,000Sale Price: 644,500 After broker + legal Proceeds: 606,000Profit: ~6k Time Held: Bought in April, Roughly 6 Months.I didn't make much from this deal, but the experience I got was awesome.

The other step is to talk to another mortgage broker at Wells Fargo...I found mention on this site of a possible 2% down mortgage on duplexes offered by them....might be just smoke and rumors, but I want to check it out.Any suggestions would be most welcome.

I would like to toke on whatever that guy's smoking if he thinks Houston is immune to this.

We had to deviate from our standard lease to have the tenant NOT be responsible for changing light bulbs, smoke alarm batteries and HVAC filters (that normally are a responsibility of the tenant). 

I have a strict no smoking inside policy, it has disgusted me my entire life. 

Also, get signatures that you inspected all smoke detectors and CO monitors.If the tenants are month to month, they probabnly signed a lease initially.

Beyond that, though, that's kinda like looking to wholesale from MLS (in fact they are in the MLS), you've got to get a smoking hot deal to add a fee and provide any value to the end buyer.