The rest of us live a few miles across the border in the suburbs.

The Wild Card is there is a city just across the border(Reynosa) of an additional million people.

Yes that can be border line micro managing just don't cross the line,once you do a couple it is much easier .

I actually ended up buying the lot next door to this house (1 acre) at an undersized property auction for $500 because it was only good to a bordering property.

Bryan,I agree 100% the value of a neighborhood spills outside its physical borders.

Fred, no there is not a balloon payment, and to go along with Adam's point, to get the duplex on a discount would be ideal, i.e. offering around $80,000; however, it seems that a deal like that is bordering on too good to be true?

There are a lot of people from the PNW - I'll include you even though you're over the border.  

hello, I am a Canadian licenced Relator just living across the border from Buffalo.

Here's my first REO Deal:I live in West Central Georgia on the border of Alabama attempting to make my first offer on a 2 story in a decent neighborhood that has only been on the market for 2 weeks:Built 1967 4 bed/2.5 bath3370 sqftlist price is $110kNeeds $50k-$70k in repairsFixed cost projected $20k Projected Profits $20k-$40KPlan is to close on the property for hopefully under $110k Renovate the property within 4 monthsMove in by December 2013 and live in it for 1 yearList it for sale in Fall 2014 for around $230kComps have it coming in around $225k but think will be hard to sell in our current market and would be better to wait.

Lately I've decided to focus my attention on the Bronx, specifically the areas bordering Mt.