And why do you think I have so many picutures of my lab Sandi wearing a sign that says "My Human Buys Houses"??

Re-invest 4% to keep up with inflation, and he would still get $80,000/year for the rest of his life without touching the $2 million.

If you are at the stage in your life when you are looking for asset preservation then I would be heavy in precious metals.

He now knows you're buying 5 properties, he knows there is more work in the pipeline if he meets his commitments and does good work, he'll have a large incentive to keep you happy to earn the remainder of the work.Remember, humans by nature are lazy.

I see and report on 100s of properties monthly and personally have seen it all in REOs and the horror show of humanity that goes with that.

Research what other properties they own, always check if property taxes were paid timely on their properties (on the assessor's site), look for signs of financial distress or life circumstances driving the need for a quick sale (divorce, probate, etc.).I bought several properties from a bankruptcy situation.

Joel,You hit the nail right on the head.Alex,Okay, from what he told me, you sold him a house, advertised a "life style rehab" of it, and placed a tenant into it.

He says the guy who poured the cement didn't do a good job or the house settled the early years of life..

I have a decent job that I cannot give up right now but want to provide a better life for my new wife and future children going forward, and I truly believe real estate will help me do that.Along with building my network as a real estate agent, I want to start my first flip project during the first quarter of 2012.

We looked around and found a a place we love that rents for $1,375 which is more than we've ever spent on rent, but our real estate back home is doing exceptionally well so I figure we should spend a little on quality of life.