My impression as well would be that free-and-clear properties make trial lawyers' mouths water, and that the presence of the debt will give some natural lawsuit immunity should you become a potential target, so that has some value in our litigious society.I would also take advantage of the low fixed rates and great buyers market, using your payoff cash to grow your little empire.

The complaint must be signed in the presence of a deputy clerk or must be notarized by a notary public.Summons: T court clerk will issue an Eviction Summons/Residential after the eviction complaint is filed and the fee paid.

While I don't live in that area anymore, I'm still somewhat familiar with the market (from other investors I know), and I don't think things have gotten much better in the past year from a buy-and-hold standpoint.There are always deals in any location, but Atlanta is unlikely to be the place to find great publicly listed deals on the MLS; instead, you'll want to look for off-market deals where you're not competing with the institutional money or the strong local investor presence.

Very reasonable rates and I found one contractor who handles all of my online postings and presence.

I'd bring capital (though very interested in leveraging as much and as quickly as possible) and a second set of eyes, you'd bring local knowledge, potentially lender connections, and on ground presence to get the work done.

Not sure what kind of engineering you do, but Florida has a high presence of aerospace companies, as does South Carolina (Boeing), and many other places with lower cost of living.

Drew,Drake has a pretty large Greek presence from what I've been told. 

I got mine from them a year ago and was originally getting it on a rental in Maryland but they don't have a presence in MD, which is what stopped me from using that rental.

All lenders comfortable with lending in your area will have a huge presence in reviewing the repair bid, ensuring you aren't paying too much and that the repairs are purposeful.Using a HML will also leverage your money, reducing your risk and allowing you to keep your money close to your chest in the event the repairs are more considerable than initially estimated.

While these tenants are most likely producing rental income, their presence doesn't mean much as far as reselling the building down the road.