@Andrew Michaud what properties are you looking at to get a comparable retail price per door?

The appraisal came out to be less than I wanted ($110,000 compared to $130,000 I was expecting).

One thing I'm considering doing is installing new pipes that will resist the elements a little more. 

Why not both take their referral and find your own and compare them and pick whichever is better, some agents have hidden gems others well.... don't3.

If you're looking for cashflow specifically, then buying in smaller town makes sense because prices are low compared to rents.

Then multiple by 12 (or skip a step take gross monthly rents and multiply by 6) then divide by whatever cap rate you think is reasonable and compare to sale price.

Hi Haydon,I think that sounds about right but compare all the quotes.Is this the house on Acton St near N Berkeley Bart?

Hi fellow members of Bigger Pockets forum,My name is Franz and I'm from Iceland, I have extreme interest in investing in real estate but after analyzing almost 50 deals here in Iceland I can't see any price to rent ratio make any sense financially, and it's hard to calculate it because there are around 0-5 rentals in each town so it's hard to compare to a property that I want to buy and analyze.

@Rupert GrantGenerally if you're eligible for a Solo 401k, it makes sense compared to a self-directed IRA for many reasons: Compared to an IRA, Solo 401k contributions limits are roughly ten times higher.There is no custodial requirement for the 401k.You don't need the additional expense and administration of an LLC to have checkbook control.You can borrow up to $50k from the plan; IRAs do not allow participant loansThere is a built in-Roth component whereas IRAs are either traditional or Roth, not both.A spouse can also participate in the same Solo 401k plan.The Solo 401k has additional tax benefits over an IRA when investing into real estate using leverage.The penalties for prohibited transactions are less severe, though it's best not to utilize this benefit :)The one exception I can think of is if your primary goal is to self-directed Roth IRA funds.

A lot of banks have introductory rates for HELOCs that they use as a loss leader for the branch and you can shop around for the lowest rate or any bonuses they have because its the cheapest money you can borrow.Once you have that line of credit, rather than utilizing it as collateral for downpayments on leveraged properties, I would use it to leverage the strength of cash offers on distressed properties ideally to motivated sellers that allow you better access to good deals compared to those with financing contingencies.