Visit your state's Department of State website for a schedule of fees.  

From what it sounded like, he has a tight relationship with his contract and thus pays the 20-30k expected renovations ahead of time.

You really need to visit the areas before taking the dive. 

We admit part of this is due to our desire to visit the properties more often and our willingness to be flexible for our tenants.

We went ahead and converted the property to a 4/2.

Get a good PM company and visit your properties in person once per year. (100% tax write off to do so for most of us). 

Clearly if you want to destroy an entire industry, you should hire me right now and then practice your evil laugh until the market, inevitably, crashes.)After more than a year without full-time work, I'm in no position financially to start investing in real estate...but I'm planning ahead.

I think I will go ahead and prepare a letter.

I'd be happy to visit with you.  

I visited Japantown about a month ago and new stores are there now along with new residential housing.San Jose is HOT and so is the rest of the Bay Area!