1) Check with state building dept to see if they have a valid builder's license and if any negative issues with it. - PRO TIP: many builders lose their license then create new company in name of wife or other relative/friend.2) Check Better Business Bureau, but don't assume all the complaints are legit. - If there area MANY, then that is a problem.

On the negative side you will need to show how you will use the property to generate sufficient income.

Any insight, positive or negative, would be immensely helpful.

The cap rates seem to be inconsistent and not aligning with really anything...3% to 5% on older buildings with higher risk, not great tenants, in not great areas and not a lot of cash flow or even negative cash flow based on current listed price.  

However, this introduces a level of risk to the equation because now, as has been mentioned, instead of going to $0, you could end up negative big time! 

People getting laid off in similar companies like Coca-Cola, JC Penney and Sears will post the same negative reviews about a company and I completely understand that POV.

Negatives of this purchase: home does not cash flow or break even if I decide to move out of the top portion.

Also, focus on 2 years of job/income stability.Class D Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, all cashflow with little, maybe even negative, relative rent & value appreciationVacancy Est: 20%+ should be used to cover nonpayment, evictions & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores under 560 (almost 30% probability of default), little to no good tradelines, lots of collections & chargeoffs, recent evictions.

It depends upon how negative you think you're gonna go.I wish you luck.  

But 3) Try multifamily specific brokers, crexi and loopnet, although 2-4 units maybe scarce. 4) A home equity line of credit is a good source of funds however it will generally make your overall monthly payments higher, so unless a deal is very solidly cashflowing, a HELOC may put you into negative cashflow. 7) Typically electric/gas are paid by the tenant - however this isn't true across the board.