You helped me win a bet.

Rentals run from $1000 a month to $2000 for a 2 bedroom depending on size and amenities.

Your best bet get a good insurance policy.Joe Gore

Your best bet is to find a deal where the total acquisition costs (including any deferred maintenance) are an amount that will equate to a positive cash flow return.

When you start redoing they start doing things like hardwired smoke detectors in all bedrooms or egress sized windows in all bedrooms (may not be the best examples but gives you an idea).

I bet your civil engineering background might come in handy in RE investing.

I am looking for advice on the size of house to build.

If they feel there is too much risk based on your knowledge or abilities they can ask you to find another home to hang your license at.I think it would be hard to find a good size RE brokerage where some agent doesn't invest or own rentals, it's usual and customary.

Your best bet is to try to get all the financial information you can get evaluate the actual numbers (plus come up with a pro-forma of your own), and make an offer based on the cap-rate of the actual numbers.

Hi Toben,I haven't heard of insurance companies not insuring a property with dogs over a certain size however I do know that a lot of companies falsely label certain breeds as "vicious" and won't allow those breeds.