If they are motivated, they may give a little without looking at your computer model of how the roof will negatively affect your future income stream.Best to you.

When I looked them up, a whole bunch of documents and properties seemed to be coming up on the computer screen I was using and I got confused.

The recent crash.My experience suggests to me that within 2 years, there will be another major crash in the real estate market.Whether you agree or not, if your numbers include appreciation and what you have determined to be the present and future values, you may find yourself in the middle of another market correction and the appreciation portion of the computation is out the window.

Paul Timmins it's like you have been monitoring my computer today!

I've managed all sorts of projects ranging from small desktop software upgrades to very large multi-vendor/multi-platform integrations.

The reason this matters is because (buyer rebates) are not legal in all states.So the broker/agent might actually be telling the truth to you depending on the state.The other item you are not thinking of is whether the listing rep is a head broker or just an associate broker or agent.If they are not the head broker then they have a split agreement with the head broker and do not receive that big commission as you state.The head broker even if the state allows rebates might have in their independant contractor agreement agents sign that they are not allowed to do rebates.Another fallacy is you think an REO broker gets 6% if they make both sides.This is not true.Most asset management companies and banks that assign REO listings to sell pay out 5% and make the listing broker stick 3% on the buyer agent side and 2% on the listing side.They also hit the listing agent with computer platform fees and maintaining BS designations that can run hundreds to almost 1,000 dollars a year for one company.All of that is taken out before even a broker split.So you are definitely misguided in your belief.The hard fact is that because the REO brokers list for so little price and the commission percent is low they need to double end to make coin.They won't say this publicly but it is true.This is why REO brokers have buyers list they notify when they have a property in pre-list that hasn't hit the market.Heck I am a head broker and I tell them they can have ALL the commission because I want the deal.So I think you are going about this all wrong and you will lose out on a lot of deals with your thought process.I hope you take what I say to heart as it will help you land more deals.Good Luck

When you compute the monthly payment, you use the amortization period, 30 years.

I think excel would work fine when I'm sitting at my computer but I have a hard time updating excel on the go.

I see you are also a pilot - I used to be - went to Embry-Riddle in Daytona but I became a computer programming nerd along the way ;-).  

At the same time, I don't really know if their computer programs offer anything more than what is offered by Michael, or that couldn't be easily integrated into his excel models.