Currently, we're pre-qualified with a lender to purchase investment properties.I believe the biggest lesson I have to learn is determining the cash flow potential of properties by comparing sales price and against gross rents - the 2% rule as I've read.

This will tell you how bad the property truely is, compared to what it used to be.

If prices are still rapidly appreciating in your area, then consider the cost of holding over the winter as compared to the better expected price in the spring and the risk that prices will drop.Good Luck,Mike

Something that causes them to work harder when things are tough compared to just walking away with no personal loss.If they can get a new 1st and you take a second then you will likely have more cash at closing.

It is a bit of a pain figuring out the comparables if you can not see what has sold.LoopNet is a solution in the commercial space.

In this e-book I will discuss a marketing method that will allow you to promote yourself with overwhelming results for just pennies on the dollar compared to other forms of advertising.

In other words, make sure there is plenty of profit in it compared to the amount they have to pay and the repairs required.

Before I really began investing I would 'sandbox' and go to the auctions every week to see what properties went for compared to what was owed, what they were assessed for and how many of them never went to the chopping block.I slowly realized that the good deals rarely went up for auction and when bids were placed they were usually at levels that even I knew was too high.

I will take a look to compare, thanks for the info and time.

Go have a look at the ones you found and see which really compare.