When a client calls our office saying they had to fire their contractor or architect, I try to understand what the problem was so I can avoid a problem client.

Jordan,I think you might see some very common aspects of the Great Depression in the next few years.

If I can answer any questions for you about 1031s or any aspect of investing, please feel free to call anytime.

Lately, the place I've been purchasing signs from have been telling me to avoid certain areas.

The costs will be nasty, but its a way to avoid a lot of out of pocket costs.

It may not be anything for a simple duplex, but you could be causing yourself problems that a simply refurbishing and expanding the existing structure could avoid.

All in all, it was great content...especially the deal analysis aspect.

.- Scope of Work: This lays out specifically what work is to be done, in as much detail as possible- Materials List: This lists the materials that should be used for all aspects of the job, including where they should be purchased, SKU numbers, and anticipated pricing (if the prices are off, call me to figure out what to do)- Payment Schedule: This lays out when the contractor will get paid, generally using 2-5 draws (depends on scope of project and schedule)

This saves you time for the really profitable aspects of real estate investing.While all bird dogs are not Realtors, Realtors have a huge advantage over non Realtor bird dogs, for obvious reasons: They have access to the local MLS, FLMS listings, they know the neighborhood, they know how long the homes are on the market, they know what buyers are looking for, they know what it will take to get it in resale condition, they have access to motivated buyers and sellers or can find them for you.Without motivated sellers you can't put together real estate deals.

But, I am a voracious reader and have over 50 real estate books in my personal library on various aspects of REI.