I didn't realize that most places had two fees, I was under the impression that they had earnest money only.  

Should I keep in touch with the seller in case his house doesn’t sell and he realizes that I gave him a fair offer?

I've put maybe 5 offers in and have not won any, and they'd be base hit deals (I realize 5 is not a lot). 

Only buy Bargains, and/or those with Potential that you can realize. 

So I went ahead and did it, and then realized that there was no program that I could find where gift money was permitted for delayed refi.

The most important thing I've realized we need is consistency.

I realize there are city and zoning regulations, permits, converting the hvac systems/water meters/electrical panels, etc.

You realize that until you recover all of that cash, you're income is just playing catchup...and your profits won't start until AFTER you've recovered the full $280K?

students deserve nice places to live. we aren't trying to be slumlords but i do realize that students probably have slightly lower expectations than other types of tenants, so i feel we wont need to break the bank in the level of finishing details like we did on our own home but we will provide housing that is clean and safe and attractive. also thinking we can use some creative materials and methods to make the units party-proof. maybe we get lucky and find some long term professors or grad students and don't have to do annual turnover on every unit. even so, i budgeted 8% for property management after watching david greene's webinar yesterday.the heloc would allow for an easy down payment and a nice buffer for rehab, and i have 750+ credit score and good wage earning history, so i think a conventional loan should not be a problem to obtain. a cash out refi might be an option on the horizon if we decide to really crank a proper rehab but the units (from the pictures i saw) are livable as-is.should i be more specific here on the address/market to get better help?

I know the agent.Other than that, there are a handful of recently sold's in Bay Park over the last 90 days all that are marketed as "ADU ready" or "ADU potential" but no solid comps I'm seeing at the moment.I'm sure you realize this but there can be a wide range of pricing throughout Bay Park w/ the potential for custom homes and gorgeous views.