This includes the initial phone call, driving out and meeting the owner at their house, follow-up until I have signed contract back, and the BS associated with title problems, seller's getting cold feet and trying to back out of contracts, and all the other stuff that comes up from contract signing to actually settling on the house.BEST PERFORMING MAIL PIECE:Handwritten letter on yellow lined paper with handwritten invitation (A6) sized envelope in random colors (pink, light blue, yellow, etc)I have graphics on BOTH the letter and the envelope- things like dollar signs, stars, arrows, houses, etc- whatever random stuff I could think of to make the letter more eye catching and 'WTF' eliciting when opened by the homeowner, so they would actually read it.SECOND BEST PERFORMING MAIL PIECE:5.5 x 11 inch yellow post card (big post card) with somewhat handwritten looking font.  

I'm not against formats electronically, just personally I love to see the BIG picture all planned out on a board instead of a 2 inch phone screen or 22inch computer screen.

Might have him pull weeds and mulch and help me unload the truck from Lowe's.

1/4 inch underlayment over tongue and groove hardwood will not provide sufficient rigidity required by ceramic tile.

If it is later in the project, and most of the money is spent, well that is where reserves come in (hopefully those aren't blown through).If you have more time than money, you go in and do work that you would prefer to have hired (i.e. cut new beds and put down mulch yourself versus paying the landscapers...).

I just paid 4500 to get my whole lawn landscaped with rock and mostly mulch.

We are in Shrewsbury and it is $65 a plow for our driveway whixh is on the longer side,$ 40 i to salt and more if it is over 6 inches. it depends on what you have them do and what you have but eatimate 400-600/ season I might figure. 

Most stuff in CHS that's worth buying is gone in pocket listings or shortly after hitting the MLS.

@David Butcher Buying a property in ch 13 means they filed to keep the house while in foreclosure.

The house was built in 1910, wood frame and I just re-checked the attic on our way through (we live out of state) yesterday - it has about 2-3 inches of old blown insulation.We of course didn't buy this as an investment property, so we are only $150 over the mortgage, insurance and taxes on a monthly basis.