Some are obviously much less interested.As All Cash has indicated he likes to use zero debt and frankly focuses on today's values.

Service calls are virtually eliminated for the next ten years.

I have a fulltime gig w/ a bank in Center City area making 60k. i have no debt [paid off school loans] and a credit score of 750. currently, I do not own any RE.

That leaves a ton of room for mistakes, market corrections, etc. as well as more room to add debt financing and other higher holding cost factors.In todays tighter rehab spread market (at least here in CA) a good deal is at 75% and I have even done them as high as 80% but only when I was 100% confident of a first week full price offer on the re-sell, and the rehab was very light and very quick.Example, late last year, I paid $305k for a property that took me only $8k to rehab and it only took 10 days.

I make a very good living here and am not trying to become a real estate investor to get out of debt but am rather coming here with a fairly important amount of cash in the bank that I would like to invest in real estate.I would like to participate in your forum and start building a network because laws and possibilities in the US are very different from what I used to deal with in France and I would like to avoid the most common mistakes right from the start.If I can help with my knowledge of real estate in France or Cuisine tips, it will be my pleasure.

I figure there are three options: (1) get an agreement from him, get it inspected, buy it for cash - that would be ultra-fast and get him out of trouble - only of course I don't have $180K lying around (2) help him get paid up for all his debts in exchange for him selling the house to me, and then I get traditional financing - what are the exact steps here, though?

My other debts total about $5,000.

of course it eliminates interest but are there other pitfalls I may be overlooking?

Make sure deed of trust eliminates right of redemtion

I am currently working the corporate field and trying to fix my credit (which I messed up severly while in college--its in the low/mid 500s).Before starting I would like to be debt free other than student loans and a mortgage, and have an emergency fund.Currently I am reading and researching all I can about this field and joined two groups on meetup.com.Thanks in advance!