Figure out if there's any 'seasonal patterns' that you can work in your favor.  

You also might want to brush up on your negotiation skills so you can approach them with confidence.We can't use bandit signs here in Philly but if they're legal in your area a good trick is to look up traffic patterns on Google maps and place them at the most congested intersections in your market area.

I've seen the pattern many times.

Of course, I could be missing something in language.I've noticed a pattern where there's almost an unwillingness to answer my questions, and I'm not running through a five page script.

The reason is because there are not many other sales in the area for me to formulate a typical cap rate from.For what it's worth, I have read as much as I possibly can on due diligence for multi units but there appears to be some contrary vice, some people say use cap rate, some people say cap rate is useless, some people say to verify expenses with the landlord before running the numbers, other people say that's pretty much impossible, but the main underlying pattern I see is that experience trumps everything.I've never bought a multiunit before so I can't just go off of my experience here, so I'm hoping someone more experienced can help point me in the right direction.The building is a standard four unit apartment complex with two floors and a central staircase.

As I have personally attended and taught several real estate investing courses, I have always been intrigued about why some students succeed tremendously, while others fail miserably - all given the same information and education.There are MANY differences between each person, but when we develop patterns (find common denominators that are present in one group, and not present in the other group), we can determine certain practices, beliefs, and methods that are sure to lead you down the same path (success or failure) as the others in the study group.There is one blatantly obvious characteristic that is present in every success story, and non-existent in every failure story.

It’s just been my pattern the past few ones I came across.  

If drop ceilings just get the nice patterned drop tiles.

So to be clear, if the judgment(s) were not recorded in DC prior to or during the time the entity owned this property, then they would never affect the property.Judgments aren't liens unless and until they properly attach to property.Unless there is something missing from your fact pattern, those foreign judgments weren't and aren't the problem. 

You'll start seeing a lot of patterns there where you should be able to come up with a number on 80% of the repairs just off your list.Then do the same with appraisal estimating.