He estimates to spend an additional $58k over the next 10 years for maintenance and capital improvements. 

I went to a really good one but I think that is the exception not the rule. 

@Jeremy Geyer Many Investors that flip homes use the 70% Rule that says 0.7 x ARV - Repairs = Your Maximum Allowable Offer (MAO).

Hello – I was just reading the article on Facebook about why beginning your investing process with a duplex works out great, what I'm trying to find out is if I can use those same rules when buying a Single family house.

Options  are under different accounting and tax rules if greater than one year, they are seen or default to an installment sale. 

Closing costs came in at 14% instead of the 5% I budgeted for and I'm going to have to put up cash I reserved for "pretty things" and cosmetic improvements to cover closing costs instead.I'm trying to figure out if I can finance some closing costs on a 203K loan since my lender wouldn't let me do a "lender credit" and take a higher interest rate on a 203K.

Being based out of LA is making a lot of searching, really not fit into the 2% rule. 

With a commercial lease, the landlord can request any amount of deposit, leasehold improvement fee, etc. that s/he wishes - but everything is negotiable.  

I think prices are a bit slow to rise but improving, most of the foreclosure inventory has been sold off so that should help.

General rule of thumb is ARV after repair value * 70% of as-is - repairs is the ballpark max offer when looking to buy.