Sometimes we should be peaceful to our clients, tenants and all other people around us.

And it sounds like this was just a compromised floor joist (or maybe a couple).I could be wrong, but for peace of mind, you may want to get a couple more bids...

It's your best chance to find your qualified and desired renter in your unique area, and here's why...It was almost painful to read all the good common-sense advice of the folk above given to you without realizing what a unique area La Canada Flintridge is - a peaceful oasis next to an otherwise gang-ridden area that is North East Los Angeles.

In other words, I didn't break and laws or violate any IRS rules.For what it's worth, Guidant didn't seem very happy with me going through the determination process -- they would have preferred that I never asked for verification from the IRS (this wasn't a necessary step but I wanted peace of mind).

I would go talk to the parties living in the house to work with them to try to get into the house to look and if purchased leaving the house in good condition. i.e a couple hundred dollarsto leave peacefully or the ability to live in the house while you foreclose, first month rent at another location etc.

I cut rents on one unit for a semi peace keeper, but she didn't really manage anything, just a point of contact for me, she worked at a local bank and was very good with the public, so lucky there I guess.I have done more in low income housing than anything else and if you start out running a tight ship, it's no more trouble than some executive rental, ($1,200 rent) who thinks he gets a private gardner and talks to his attorney all the time.

I called the Justice of the Peace in my county and they said it happens all the time and is perfectly legal.

You deserve a Nobel Peace Prize for simply answering the main question by the way haha.

You can also find other books on Barnes and Nobel or Amazon that will walk you through the process.I would also advise you to find a good CPA, one that understands real estate, as soon as possible as poor accounting will rob you of your profits come tax time.

To keep peace in the house, I am going with the highest bid.