Also, pretend you don't have $5k, because I can assure you that you will spend all of that $5k very quickly.

"pro forma" => "pre tend"

The people who pretend to know everything are the ones who should be afraid.As a contractor, you (likely) have skills that will interest others.

But you can pretend to be a tenant and find out what's available and the prices.

but it you'll throw you cash in it and ignore the return you could have had on that cash elsewhere, we can both pretend its a good deal."

To obtain this key legally, well, as you can imagine the rest....For props that don't have MLS lockbox(combination style), I assume you could just pretend you're a realtor or whatever and obtain the code.Try it, let me know how that works for you.

I'd like to ask you a question on your post.Let's pretend we don't have to worry about any refinancing.

SO $11,000 profit if we pretend that there were NO HOLDING COSTS (taxes/i nsurance/utilites) and NO interest owed.  

So they run around pretending to know all about homeownership, while themselves stuck as being tenants. 

Pretending to have no time is sure disaster no matter whether you invest in RE/stock market or play black jack in Vegas.