So I promptly bought a complex with three flat roofs and three boilers... in Ohio

If in fact they were a good tenant that may prompt the landlord to open up.

I read Brandon Turner's "The Book On Rental Property Investing", which prompted me to join one of the free webinars.

Something they would have had to pay for anyway.I guess what prompted me to write this is the neighborhood i live in, in Orlando, has houses in the $400-$500k range that are REO and they have not had one walk through in over a year.

Ned..Thank you for your prompt reply.

I get thru to an operator as quickly as possible, by going thru the prompts as if i am creating a brand new account every time I call in, that is about the quickest way I have found to to get it done, and sometimes if I need to check back with them the next day or two, I will ask them to call me back and they will, the only problem I have with that is that they call from a restricted number, and I can't identify it, so sometimes I miss the call back, but it does work.

@Jared Delaney it's not finished those are rough numbers.

The old fashion technique you are on now to save and buy when you have the down payment may be the safer course and keeps you on the buy and hold track without the risks of being a flip dabbler.Your prompt highlights how these are in some ways very opposite strategies (one is get in, add value, and get out, and get paid asap... the other slow and steady buy and hold--maybe forever--letting the tenant pay down the debt, rents slowly rise, and appreciation march on )..

My first choice is to restore the home which is what prompted my post.

Thank you all for your prompt posting after my sign-up.