If it doesn't hold pressure, then they would jack hammer into the concrete slab to fix the pipes.

It's better to hammer away at the fees as I mentioned.

As long as it cash flows you leverage cash and still do good on the up cycle.If the bank wants big down then you have to really hammer them on a reduction to justify injecting precious capital.

I can see for a single tenant in a house that is not close to your other rentals doing a negotiation like that might work.Most of the tenants I have if the judge says to be out they go.Different tenants have different levels of knowledge with the process and the last thing you want is to empower them more.You will have enough professional tenants to deal with as it is.I always tell my property manager that "less is more" when talking with a tenant.The more you explain things to them the more they learn and are more difficult to evict.Let them believe they have to be out and most will just move and not wait on the writ.One tenant I had got a judgement in court and the eviction date from the judge.They paid the judgement and moved out and didn't wait on the writ.They didn't know about garnishment,bank levy,etc. and the process and just paid me the judgement.Also even if it is a house you have to watch if your properties are close to each other or renting to friends or family they will talk as well about you the landlord.Have another tenant now where she owes thousands and the writ is in a week.She has been waiting on disability approval from SSI.She wants to pay 700 but I have a judgment for a few thousand.I told her if she comes up with 2,500 I will let her stay otherwise she is out.The reason is at 700 it is not worth it to me.I would take 700 and then have to cancel the writ and refile eviction.With the holidays it could be January before I get her out again because of the courts taking the time off.At 2,500 I get most of what is owed and I don't have to recondition the property.Then I don't have to get re-rented during the Holidays which will most likely take a special first months rate to rent out.As a landlord these are the tough decisions you have to make on a case by case basis.We do inspections once a month.Then we know if we file eviction what kind of recondition costs will be needed to get ready again.Then you weigh the thousands in costs or hundreds depending on condition re-renting versus a workout with the current tenant.As far as evictions go most will pay the judgement.If they do not I am nice to them and press them to move out by the court ordered date.The property manager goes in daily and says a few more days and it all has to be out.This presses them to move.If they change the locks which they are not allowed per the lease then we have an impact driver that will push through the toughest lock in under a minute.Some will stay and wait for the writ but not many.I wait until they leave and then I "bring down the hammer" and file garnishment against them.I don't do this until they leave to keep them calm and make them think they are getting away with something.They leave the place clean with no trash thinking they are getting off scott free.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/TrafficMASTER-Pewter-Fl...Here is a link for an example transition strip easily installed with some metal snips to trim it to length and a hammer to nail the nails in with.

You are all right about the trust factor, it is my livelihood that they're swinging a hammer to lol..

If not I am going to have to learn how to swing a hammer, thank god for youtube.

From everything that Josh & Brandon have hammered, I included the 10% Prop Management cost into the original calculation because someday Im not going to manage my properties myself.  

There's an old saying: "when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail".

A duplex is nice, but try to get 4 units, unless you don't have that optionIf its about $10 ahead and you don't have other capital or a crew to help you run it, you might be in trouble later If you know how to do small repairs it helps you, but if you don't even know how to hold a hammer, you might be in trouble laterWhat is your debt coverage ratio?