The city has recently stepped the abatement down so it's basically cut in half but all of these projects got in under the deadline and have the full 10 year abatement. 

Texas’ active inventory in June 2024 was about 4.6% above its June 2019 levels.That means, of course, that the inventory situation in much of the rest of the country is still quite tight.

I’ll never own an LTR with rent less than ~$2,500/mo again, the margins are just too tight below that for me and I live near my properties and can do pretty much anything that needs doing if needed.

They can provide guidance on potential legal options and rights concerning the city’s demands and the lender.Negotiate with the City:Seek Extensions or Variances: Your friend can request an extension on the deadline to comply or apply for variances that might allow the property to meet less stringent requirements.Explore Grants or Subsidies: Check if there are any local, state, or federal grants or subsidies available for renovating older properties, especially those providing low-income housing.Engage with the Lender:Discuss Financial Hardship: Present the case to the lender, explaining the situation and the financial hardship imposed by the new building codes.Propose a Loan Modification: Suggest modifying the loan terms, such as extending the loan period, reducing interest rates, or even deferring payments temporarily.Negotiate a Short Sale: If the property must be demolished and rebuilt, your friend can discuss the possibility of a short sale where the lender agrees to accept less than the owed amount to avoid foreclosure.Explore Refinance or New Loans:Seek New Financing Options: Look for other financial institutions or private lenders willing to provide financing for renovation or rebuilding.

I have already seen the new forms/addendums that will be used here in Arizona, the common one for this will be the Seller Compensation Addendum.The one thing that might happen in your discount buyer agent scenario is you might get a buyers agent who agrees to a lower commission and then the listing agent is offering a co-broke that is higher than he agreed to, well now that buyers agent will only be able to get paid the lower amount he agreed to and the listing agent will keep the remainder, so listing agents could end up getting paid more.As far as your question on what to pay an agent, I view it similarly to hiring an attorney, there are discount attorney's and they might be okay for some people in some circumstances, or if you know the proper procedures and deadlines then maybe you do it on your own without an attorney.

Almost no one I know runs a tight enough ship to survive if a tenant sues.

If you miss your deadline, you are liable for double the security deposit plus legal fees.

Physical asset investing does not grow linearly, you'll get some jabs in the face, maybe a tight slap like an AC stolen or a tenant flooding your bottom floor.

But also send an email with Key deadlines and expectations.

Then is cash is tight find a property where the seller is motivated to sell or maybe it has been sitting on the MLS and has a high DOM.