PM came back with about $2400 for the back yard (2400 sq.ft) which includes 1) Removal of seven stumps in preparation for reseeding of yard, 2) Scotts starter fertilizer, 3) Pennington grass seed, 4) 3 yds topsoil.

James, none of this is apples-to-apples or really accurate.For starters, what you've depicted is NOT just "south Detroit".

No income is pretty close to being a non-starter in terms of getting a long term loan.

For starters, I disregard every brokers opinion about everything. 

He'll fall for her and the next thing you know, he'll be marrying her and buying a ridiculously expensive "starter house" with a fat mortgage.And then come the kids, and the next thing you know, of course they have to get an even BIGGER house, and new cars every three years ("for the safety for the kids" of course).They'll end up with a truly insane mortgage they can barely pay with nothing left over for pity's sake and he'll spend the next twenty years trying to pay it down while raising kids who have to wear designer clothes and have expensive hobbies.

Every area differs and it also is heavily dependent on if you're renovating it to be a Luxury Listing, a Starter Home, or a Rental.

My goal: Second investment property, looking for q starter home (3-4 bd, 2 bth) in the 350-400k range that promises good appreciation potential over 5 years and stable rentability.

I just started this year as well and decided to go with duplex for starters.

I start reading the starters guide.. so enough information to absorb :D and maybe in the future I will find partners here to invest in bigger properties..Why Real Estate??

I got my start in real estate back in 2012 when I bought my starter home and thought it was too good to be true to have roommates pay the mortgage.