Chinmay, because what you say is true, "trial and error" basically, is why I wrote this piece.  

You mark up the price for your profit but theoretically leave enough equity for the end investor to make a profit as well.Of course I'm leaving out details and variations but I think that's a rough outline.

I've seen a lot of variations in miami beach studios. they're all different so you just have to do your research on each one.

RE requires subjective and objective analysis and some things in life are simply impossible to address by such means, RE is one of them.You'd be better off and easier devising a program that could create a new Van Gogh, define love or provide world peace.There is too much social interaction, varied motivations of buyers and sellers, changing markets, desires for locations, economic considerations and variations of quality, much of it being in the eye of the beholder to provide a formula for investing in RE.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/rts/1010402574.htmlI use different variations of this, I find it's best to post after 3-4pm.I also post during the day, but it seems I get response after people get home...........since I don't use a website, I use wufoo.com to capture the leads, it's free and easy

I pay about $50 per month for the expired lead package but you have to be an agent to use that package, I think they have a free trial period too.

id rather not learn what works and what doesnt through trial and error.

I've thought about that possibility too, giving it a trial period for a year or two and then seeing if I want to keep it as a rental long term. 

That way you can serve your mortgage without having to work for it yourself.Equity sitting in your home is money not working for you but you working to serve it P+I.I write a lot and talk a lot about performance in my posts and this is a variation of it.

It sounds like you didn’t manage this well either by allowing any variation from the contract, but again guessing on my part.