I am a mechanic or engineer- my background is in the construction fields, I owned my owe business for 12 years and lost it all in the last market crash and said I would never do what I did before- now I am at a hospital working in engineering- I do have a rehab but my stamina is a little less than what it was 14 years ago- I'm thankful for my day job but I know its not where I want to be so I feel the pain- the biggest thing you got to do is find the right deal- something your day job can afford ie.. rehab, foreclosure a deal that makes sense- bite the bullet and buy it- you will have to get dirty, do the work your self and don't fall in love with the property, find the best market move for it and get rid of it or keep it as a rental, do it againkeep crunching numbers and looking at properties one will be there for you there everywhereGood Luck!

I was thinking the same...particularly in that area where a couple blocks could be the difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars.  

But I want the tenant to feel some 'pain' if they break a garbage disposal (for example).  

(Of course I recommend you buy the ugliest house on the best block possible there, then fix it up and enjoy the appreciated)

I would like to be able to put in an offer to close in 15 days to increase the likelihood I can get the home as it is 1 block from my brother making it ideal for my family and rental in a couple years.

I have existing butcher block counters in good shape, should I leave them or refinish them or replace them?

Only downside is they are downtown at Main place tower so going there and parking is a pain or you can pay to park in the garage.Interested in seeing who you guys recommend for CPA.

Im in Dayton so I can only speak for this area, but make sure u have good boots on ground anywhere that you choose, as things can get ugly from 1 block to the next.Happy investing

The key is not to work on the solution first, instead listen to the seller for their pain and then work on solutions.

You can also draw your own plans, but it can be a painful process for someone not familiar with all the code and design complexities that building departments like to have spelled out on a set of plans.