I have also seen appraisers add or subtract for a fenced yard which I find renters like.

If he only wants 20k, make sure you subtract the 8k from that and let him walk.

Then from that value you subtract expenses to lease up, the lost rent during lease up time, commissions etc. but also give a credit for less variable expenses since the property is only half full.But if the seller knows you are to be occupying he will try to negotiate these expenses down because your occupancy will cure all these shortfalls the day you move in. 

My question is sometimes the return looks very good if rent from all units are counted, but if subtracting one that we will potentially live in, the return doesn't look as good.

So 470 in expenses subtracted from about 1000 in payments if both units are rented.

Then you subtract out vacancy, rental loss, and daily operating expenses for the year.

If you really want to get specifIc and use a spreadsheet to determine the exact number of days for your investment, enter your purchase date in one cell, the closing date in another cell and in a third cell, subtract the two dates to determine the exact number of days you had your money invested.

Instead, our model is to act like we're the buyer and subtract the fee we want to make from what an investor "should" be willing to pay for the property.  

What we'll list it for: 185,000 subtract 3% buyer fees - $5,550flat listing fee - $500 Sales price - expenses - $178,950We buy for $162,000 Closing costs - $4,860 holding costs of 8% interest only for 90 days - $3,370Total cost - $170,230Subtract everything from top to bottom and you get what we (should) walk away with, which is: $8,720

So if you have the time could you let me know where or if I'm doing anything wrong. the comps I pulled are from Zillow on the closest properties to the addresses I can find.Property Card says the property is wroth 589k at 1,201sqft 3beds/2bathsthese are the properties that have sold in the area1)$542k 1099sqft 3beds/2baths2)$475k 1445sqft 3beds/3baths3)$565k 1859sqft 4beds/4bathsthe areas price per sqft is $415, so to get the comps as close as possible I'm taking the sqft and multiplying by the average sqft of the area to make up for the area sqft of the properties and then I'm adding or subtracting to the prices the properties sold for for a new price of...1)$583,3302)$373,7403)$292,000these are the new prices I get now to my untrained eyes?