My degree is from the school of hard knocks so you will have a leg up on me. 

It is usually 88 degrees year around.

That was not the intention.Let's just say that all of the Universities that have financial degrees, other professional degrees such as CCIM, CFAs, etc. all need to understand these calculations.It's a requirement for these degrees and designations.What I am saying is that learning the IRR is really NOT hard at all, whether or not you believe it will help you, the evidence does point to the ability to have this particular calculation as one of the best tools in your financial tool box.The problem here is that if those of us who really understand the calculation of IRR can clearly show that Positive, Negative, Neutral cash flows, Zero, Negative or Positive Appreciation, etc. can all be taken into account with one calculation and regardless, it can be proven mathematically that there are enough scenarios to dispute the theory that only Positive Cash Flow Properties are the safest and highest returns for an Investment.I'm hoping that there are at least a few people reading this thread will want to investigate it, but having people say that HEY...

Despite new reporting requirements, such as those imposed by FinCEN, it's still possible to achieve a degree of anonymity with careful planning and the proper jurisdiction.

The BEST would be to obtain a college degree in real estate investment, finance or development.  

That may sound speculative, but in some degree all forms of investing are.

And to not spend too much on things that don't matter too much; thinking flooring or at least carpet to a degree don't want to go too cheap on that, exterior things like siding not sure if there is much money to save there, any other areas to save money?

The investor-focused real estate agents in this space all know each other to a certain degree.

It would be hard for anyone on here to speculate with any degree of certainty. 

These tools can help you estimate the materials you'll need and their costs with a high degree of specificity​.Each of these resources has its unique strengths, from providing comprehensive project estimates to focusing on specific materials or aspects of construction.