Purchase price: $275,000 Cash invested: $45,000 Sale price: $400,000 Contributors: Adam Schooley This townhouse, which had gone through probate, suffered from significant water damage to the drywall and required updates throughout.

Purchase price: $275,000 Cash invested: $45,000 Sale price: $410,000 Contributors: Adam Schooley This townhouse, which had gone through probate, suffered from significant water damage to the drywall and required updates throughout.

That actually is a benefit, as no one is expected to water the yard.  

Plus global warming has really helped with the winters. 

(And I would tell you to not buy a property that doesn't cash flow unless you have significant resources behind you that could absorb anything that could come at you - like replacing a $5,000 AC one month followed by replacing a $1,000 hot water heater the next).   

They would need to prove their system works before I take such a high risk.I have 23k in capitol to invest, originally saved for a home, and would be willing to put up 10k for their system to test the waters.

For example, the iconic Malibu waterfront homes were built directly over the water, many by variance, and assumedly will not be permitted to reconstruct, certainly not with the same materials or attached architecture.

Who knows, maybe you use that money and invest into a new type of toothpaste that blows any RE investment out of the water.

One of the best was when they told me the radiator in the kitchen is warm and should be hotter.

With that in mind, you'd also have to make sure the land you'd buy has water and electric running to it already.