I've got access to hardwood floors quite cheap, and I figured that would be one thing (much cheaper than carpet).Would you go electric or gas for heat?

Why would I pay $250/yr for MLS access as a realtor and give everyone access for free?

I always wondered what a few thousand dollars could buy you, evidentaly it gets you a home in a so-so neighborhood and a junk car in the yard on blocks :D You can read my full blog post at http://realestatecircleville.wordpress.com

Case in point - I have two friends who had purchased two houses on a block and had been passively working on tenanting the property for 6 months with no success.

Not sure if you can without either having access to the MLS or a realtor freind to tell you.You could always ask if it has been listed.

After I declined the app, one of them called me about 50 times in 2 days until I called her caseworker and then had her number blocked.

The advantage of using a broker is that they have access to all of the major institutions (Which are all shuttered due to the Resi fallout) but also should have a sophicticated Rolodex and contacts with various Hedge Fund Managers; Real Estate Investment Trust Managers and Private company that will only deal with brokers.

You can save time and money accessing the same data if not better than what you are currently using.

I haven't been giving all my money to the bank though; I've been saving it where I can access it, just in case something like job loss reared it's ugly head.

My partner and I were looking at a house where the homeowner had gotten really weird with renovations -- walling off rooms to make two small useless rooms, taking down a wall to make one large useless room, and adding a second story addition that could only be accessed by a tiny spiral stair case.When we said this would be tough to rent out, she said: "Oh don't worry, you can always throw in a bunch of college students."