Quote from @Rodney Menendez: @Peter Dukaj yes we are still finding lots for around $19k in Lehigh Acres with no issues for construction  still a soft market and utilities are going to run way more than public sewer and water taps. it all ends up being the same. 40-50k for a lot no matter how you skin the cat. plus all the site work required for those lots is more than double what a traditional infill lot requires in miami or columbus for example 

When people say I am going to do the renovations myself, they usually mean doing everything without proper permits and then they get screwed when they go to sell.If you can find a house hack where the side you will live in needs cosmetic, direct replacement (no permits) work, that would be ideal because you can do both by living in and soft-flipping your side while getting income on the other.

As a real estate investor, I've learned that you can talk about anything. To make deals go through, you need to get along with buyers and understand what drives them. I quickly learned that just because I signed a ter...

Heated towel racks always go over well.Keurig coffee with coffee pods and condiments.Gift upon arrival.Hope that helps.Mike

That money is slowly starting to dry up and values are getting soft.

There's ways to negotiate earn outs, build in soft costs etc. to help recoup the majority of your capital without the need to spend the time or expense on a refinance.

Wired internet cables for laptopsObviously towels, toilet paper, shampoo, body wash, etc in every bath Keurig for coffee if they'd like someGym in basement Washer/dryerLocks on every bedroomMaybe even a fridge full of beer and water

I would check for water stains on the ceilings and leaks around the windows as well as soft spots on the floors.

It would be best while working with the lender prior to getting into contract on the property to do a soft credit pull. 

In new builds we're using mostly 12' which skews that 3.4 number upwards a little bit, but pretty minimal in the grand scheme of things.As an aside I just finished planning a base model home that is coming in at $64 per sq ft including soft costs.