Paint, replace light fixtures, etc.

To start, the numbers:3 bedroom, 1.5 bath 1700 sq foot brick SFH with bonus room.Purchase Price: $59kAppraisal: $105k as is with estimated $124k after rehab.Renovation budget: $20k.Renovations include: new flooring in bonus room, kitchen and baths. total renovation of bathrooms, new cabinets, crown molding (to cover bad drywall job by previous owner), buff hard woods, paint exterior, paint interior, remove awning, remove side door and seal up, fix low spot in kitchen floor, and remove the non-permitted fire place.Estimated Rent: Initially I budgeted $950 per month based on another rental I own in a similar location, but  two houses on the same block were recently rented for $1200+.

If Mr Arsenault were to buy one of the many run-down student rentals in 'the 'nish' and simply paint, renovate the kitch & bath he could likely command a premium :)  It's actually quite a fun and vibrant town for its size!

@Dave FosterFor full disclosure, we do have a heater so we could use it year around but we just choose to use the hot tub in winterI grew up in W Palm Beach where it was possible to swim year aroundI am still waiting to hear the first person tell me " I can't wait to retire and move to the north"  except for those moving to "North" Palm Beach or "North" Ft Myers

C) If the above makes sense you may have greater flexibility with the options you have with the multifamily you choose (or other investments that will take you closer to your Financial freedom number)D) if your primary goal is immediate cash flow, CA is a difficult nut to crack for that with multi-families at the moment.

OK, now that I've painted the picture for you, my question is: Can I use the equity in my existing lake home as the down payment for my next purchase?

It needs some cosmetic updates: flooring, countertops, appliances, paint, replacing a few roof tiles.

Damage, to replace vinyl etc, is likely to be relatively small of 200-300 dollars.Would you fix it, and then keep the evidence to take out of their security deposit when they choose to move out, or would you confront them with the evidence, and post a bill for the amount of the work?

So I'm almost complete with my rehab and it was really scary. I realize why contractors have such a bad name. I was wondering how do you guys protect yourself from bad contractors. Do you do background checks? do you ...

Hi All,
Wondering what are the major factors that everyone considers when looking into different real estate markets? I live in Plymouth, MA. The towns can vary greatly in several demographics and statistics. I would ...