So, if it's a typical agent listing and the listing agent gets his 3% - on a $600,000 house that would be about $18,000 plus the $50,000 over list, plus carrying costs for 6 months at $2500 per month ($15,000), that comes to something like $83,000 - none of which comes out of his pocket, he says. 30 minutes in at www.youtube.com/watch?

But, when it comes time to put the deal together and pull the trigger: work with a seasoned real estate attorney with experience in structuring seller carry deals and writing thorough docs that cover your interests, especially with the "what ifs?"

Another option is seller financing, where you negotiate directly with a motivated seller to carry the note instead of going through a bank.

That carries over to the economics of the deal and you'll see returns much lower than if you run them on a more efficient floorplan. 

I just acquired a little 2 bedroom condo last month on owner financing with $7,250 down and the owner is carrying the note for me for 12 months. 

On another 10-unit mixed-use property in a nearby coastal town, we carry hurricane and earthquake insurance, in addition to O&L (ordinance & law) supplemental coverage.

Sub toOwner Carry Private money What made you interested in investing in this type of deal?

If I have only 20k in the SDIRA, can I use that as a downpayment and then carry a note in the SDIRA name?

I would probably talk to or send a message to the downstairs tenant to let them know that although they may not be breaking the rules, their noise is carrying upstairs and for them to just be conscious of that fact when they are up late.

With carrying costs, repairs, and previous unknowns, I am now looking at approximately $65k as we are doing nearly everything ourselves (I own heavy equipment and previously had a contracting/landscaping business).