So that will definitively tell you if it's a legal 2 family or not. and I can tell you now that if the property is a 'non conforming' 2 family (meaning it's a legal 2 family but only because it's grandfathered in as it currently sits in a one-family Zone) then the chances of you getting it converted to a 3 are very slim. good luck.

My method was to drive by the properties and yes it takes time and see what was in play, and if it was a pretty house I knew my chances of buying were slim If there wasn't an invisible problem in existence and they would 98 percent of the time just list it with an agent.

The chances you do both effectively are very slim

Jon, I agree with you that I have never had a contractor charge for a bid if I am the homeowner, however, in the context of this thread, it references getting bids on homes that an investor may or may not be the winning bidder on and as such, the chances of the contractor getting the work is slim to none, just ask any of the thousands of members here who play the numbers game (make 40 offers to get one under contract)

Aside from that, most credit unions usually have a slim product mix with very tight guidelines...

I realize almost nobody buys a commitment to bid at a foreclosure sale because the odds of winning the bid are slim and most people would not want to spend the money. 

Because the chances of getting that over the year is slim to none.However, in looking at this year's returns, my total out of pocket for all my expenses (and I had an eviction, an A/C and a furnace) came in less than the $75 per month per house number.

When I run the numbers for some of the areas around Cleveland, for example Parma, cash flow is very slim at $150/mo. 

In both cases your margin is pretty slim. 

This thread is a time capsul of awesome.