Whether account for them or not, they will come up and any perceived "cash flow" you have made up to that point will be wiped out and likely more with such slim margins.  

Your kindness was perceived as weakness. 

They're widely available, many of them open-ended (meaning you can buy in tomorrow, next year, whenever) and you're not under the same pressure to find the perfect property.In the past, private equity funds were generally closed to "accredited investors," a sub sector of affluent investors who -- perceive ably -- have more money and therefore must be more savvy.

Donald Cressey is The Fraud Triangle: 1- A perceived unshareable financial need. 2- Perceived opportunity. 3- Rationalization.Financial pressures change in life, medical care for aging parents, a family member becomes ill, college costs, mid-life crisis, substance addictions and gambling, jealousy/feeling "owed" or wronged, social pressures to "get ahead"...The biggest losses are always where there are no checks & balances, no separation of duties, no policies and procedures in place. 

I might be able to get $1400 a month in rent if I can leverage the wood floors and new paint / kitchen to increase the perceived value to renters.Are my assumptions good?

Controlling how the tenant perceives you Choosing the right tenant, for me, almost NEVER has to do with the credit score.

Use it as an equity stretcher in your other deals.Meaning, it becomes part of other deals and traded as if it add value X as part of the consideration.You would structure your offer in other deals as a "must take" in order to increase the perceived value of your offer on the new acquisition property.

Many brokers do not allow their agents to buy and sell for themselves because of a perceived conflict of interest.Then there are the fees to join your association and MLS.

However, I'm concerned that (1) homeowners will perceive me as a self-interested investor and (2) when I get them on the phone, they will only want to know my buying price, not allowing me to build a relationship.B.

Some others will, but we feel there is enough complication and risk that the perceived simplicity and cost savings is not realized.It is arguable that even if you added capital in the same proportions as the initial funding, this is still a transaction between the IRA and a disqualified party (the LLC that - once formed - has equity and control interests of the other, disqualified IRA).To fund the LLC in a disproportionate manner would much more clearly create issues.