The moment you have a big mouth, tons of money, and launch ads,  you are suddenly a "guru".The problem with most Gurus is that again, they take their "opinion" and dress it up as "data".

It wont stop those that know how to dress for success.  

I know plenty of people who can prepare fancy spreadsheets and underwriting presentations but are terrible operators and still struggle in this business.

Learn it, or, if you're feeling fancy, hire someone you trust to help and get different estimates. 6 Critical Documents you need if you're working with a Contractor: Independent Contractor AgreementFinal Scope of WorkPayment ScheduleInsurance Indemnification Agreement and W2Final & Unconditional Lien Waiver: this is the most important one!

Hey Lior,cool project you're working on. as you've stated the roi on a finished basement is low or even negative. but an extra bathroom and if possible a legal bedroom might change that. depending on the setup, i would put them in this order, an extra bath will have the highest return, then the bedroom and finally finishing off the rest of the space. if possible consider just the bathroom, and then "finish off" the rest of the space as either storage or a laundry room. nothing fancy. if the value is there and you can make a legal bedroom, also include that in your math. however past those two rooms i don't see the value in finishing the rest of the space. basic lighting, or a laundry setup is as much as i would personally invest in this extra space. i wish you luck

Then walk up to everyone and let them know that you're the person to go to for buying and selling properties.positive attitude is usually the main thing you need to make it. simple things you can do. get a gimmick (business card with your dog on it that stands out from the boring ones.)maybe add that to a simple landing webpage. you don't need anything fancy, but a page that is reference on your card where they can fill a form or click on your email address to contact you.have a catchy email address linked to your domain.

I then took that pre approval letter with me whenever I talked to a realtor and that showed them I was serious.Another thing I did that I've heard is overlooked by some is, dress sharp & wear a tie.

I carry when visiting and showing the property (let the grip poke out of your pocket) and dress down.

But from what I know I would think you could build new, nothing fancy, for around $90/ sqft for a single family home around Houston.

As long as I can still dress like I'm homeless if I want and get my naps in... just don't have the name point to you.