I can recommend an excellent contractor from Hatch (who did my vacation rental remodel, very detail oriented and lots of creative ideas.

He didn't even brush the subject under the rug when we initially asked, he speculated about what was going on with the place.He seems like a decent guy, but it just didn't quite feel right.

Big believer in having hardwood floors, yes they can get damaged just like anything else, but are easy to fix ( scratches, big gouges or water stains that may have been incurring for years are harder to fix, but you can replace just that spot). carpet would have to get changed a lot more, not to mention possible health problems for new tenant if you do not deep clean them after the old tenant leaves. as far as noise, yes you will get some down stairs, but i wouldn't worry about it. suggest to people when they move in that they can put down area rugs.

Southern California resists this and is more orientated as a horizontal / automobile dependent city.There is probably not a crash on the horizon for your market.  

I personally like a mix of higher cash flow real estate and some more growth oriented RE as well (although I try to find both as much as possible).If initial cash on cash returns were everything then it would be the same as saying the higher dividend stock is always better.  

This is why I suggest an orientation day at your local probate courthouse to pull and read at least 50 case files and pick up on the nuances.

So Jake Scott, what kind of orientation and training did you get to learn to use the software?  

For someone coming in from out of state who is ready to spend hard earned money these are not things that should be swept under the rug.

There is a happy medium, and I suppose that I should disclose that my personal experience has been very recourse-oriented; to put another way, I trust my dumpster provider and my termite inspector, no one else has yet withstood the test.

Interested in Princeton, NJ & Wilmington DE area - Investing Goal: Buy low townhouse/small single house that yields small buffer from rental income post loan/opex (hopefully).Pros/colleagues in NJ/DE area - please help me get started with guidance on establishing connections and really help me define roadmap - 1. should I find an real estate agent who deals with foreclosure/short sell. 2. is foreclosure/short sale really the right first investment for a completely clueless person to start3. what should be first step to start getting hands dirty and not just read books/ blogs - kind of action oriented learning.Hope to hear and get some awesomeness trickle through..Ashish