I spent more on rent in a 1 BR apartment in Brentwood than I did on my mortgage on a 2000 sq ft house, with basement, in Michigan. 

We, or rather our attorney, convinced the young man to compensate us for the water overage and the monies spent looking for the cause.

Rick H......I know that isn't the typical case and I wish it were not the case here, but I spent many hours on the issue early on and it is because the IRA was initially inherited by a trust which then was distributed to the beneficiaries of the trust and there was some technicality having passed first to the trust that it had to then have distributions taken based on the life expectancy of the oldest trust beneficiary, which was my stepmother in this case. 

Once, I actually spent the money to have several appraisers appraise the same property and they came up with 3 different valuations, ranging between $25,000 to $60,000!!

My broker (who is a great outside the box thinker herself) created her own great deals and bought 2 brand new north Austin buy & hold  SF investment homes last December.

The box they leave in the basement is *always* going to say a number greater than 4.0, because that's what the testing company - which is also the remediation company - needs it to say to sell the work.I'd really love to call for a radon test on a house, let them put the box in the basement, and then move it out into the fresh air and sunshine in the back yard after they leave. 

I've spent alot of late nights reading over the forums and whatever helpful books I could get my hands on about investing.

I became interested in real estate my senior of high school as well and spent a lot of time researching and learning about the business.

Speaking to your specific situation, I imagine the duplex has an old telephone box somewhere on site (unless it's very new construction).

I have to admit I see lot of rehabs who try to cheat, use builder grade junk .The need a new electric upgrade they will only do a box and have a handy many men do it no permit .When in fact they need to run a new wire to each out let it is crazy.Best advice with flips it needs a good inspection, fact most other investors I see never buy a flip bad workman ship, over priced.