Personally I do not mind bringing business somewhere else, last year I bought 3,000 angle stops and 3,000 faucet SS hoses, sent them a sample/spec, HD sells them for $6-8/pc, supplier prices were $1-1.15/pc, spent another $.50-.60/pc on air cargo and etc.

I also force appreciation with each and every purchase, but my attitude is that if I'm putting that much time, effort, and risk into rehabbing a property from top to bottom to my specs and getting it dialed in and performing with a great long term tenant, then I'm keeping the darn thing, and choosing property that I think will do well with market increases in value and rents over the long term so that the optimal strategy is to keep it.Having said that, I'm not under any delusion that the SoCal market will go straight up all the time, and seeing as how it is a hot market now it would not surprise me one bit if it went down a bit in the not so distant future ... it is of very little consequence to me, though ...

I have answers to a few of your questions while I’m sure spec builders here can chime in on their end for you. 

The A/C people came out ( I had authorized them to do the seasonal cleaning and maintenance as well at the same time).I got the bill for the regular maintenance..but on the bill was a charge for 20.00 for battery replacement in the thermostat.

Electronic Lifts- disconnect the battery if leavingfor long term storage.K.

I know more of the iPhone's battery life and WiFi signal than the actual house as the pics are tiny.Here is the big question for everyone:Did the leasing agent take all the pics or did you?

I have been a landlord for more than 3 years and when I started to watch and listen to Brandon, it motivated me to buy 3 more properties this year, and I am still going like the rabbit hitting the drum with the Energizer battery!

While it's hard to get in to Fountain Square for $40k anymore, there are still other neighborhoods that are available with similar numbers.Also, I have a client with similar success purchasing spec homes in the nicer, growing suburban areas. 

Go here to check out the full specs: http://www.freddiemac.com/learn/pdfs/mp/hp_glance....I can't get Freddie loans to price out right now, but I'm seeing Fannie 3% loans with "no MI" pricing out in my system at 4.5%-4.625% at BoA margins.

My wife has a Mustang that has sat so long in the garage, I've put 2 brand new batteries in it and both have gone dead from the alarm draining them.