Much more than that if she was a professional squatter. 2500 is painful emotionally but it gets her out immediately and I can move on with my life.

Section 8 housing is a pain as a landlord/management company - we TRY to steer clear of it for this reason.

That gives me a nice buffer.The house I would be buying is 3500+ Sq ft just about one block away from a college.

I think it can be a good starting block if there is cashflow.

Lastly, if you represent yourself, be prepared to block out several days for court appearances, no matter if the tenant shows up or not. 

Solar will be a massive pain in the *** if you are doing this in the SE belt.

So I’ve since blocked off the third floor on one side and rented it as a 1 BR for now. but when the other side leaves eventually I’m starting to lean towards raising the ground grade 28” so that the total drop is less than 20’and then I’ll knock down some walls and make the whole 3rd floor attached only to that last unit so that the whole area can use the stairs and that window as second egress. 

Haha Hey @Jacob Pereira Sorry to get your hopes up - I spoke without thinking in my excitement to talk about 1031s and skipped over a crucial stumbling block for your dream strategy ;) Allow me to clarify:So, if you live in one side of the duplex for two years within the five years prior to the sale, then it is considered residence use.

PM drops me because the property is a pain. 

Purchase price: $88,000 Cash invested: $44,811 Sale price: $190,000 1 bed 1 bath 3rd floor walk-up just a block from the lake in Roger's Park.