I am somewhat cursed because I’m a designer and I can’t bring myself to put cheap furniture or fixtures in my properties, I spend about $30k+ furnishing a two bedroom cabin.  Most of the furniture is custom built by the furniture company I own, but even though I’m buying it at cost it still ends up costing a lot of money.

Can you get them to do the work as cheap as he does?

Like you said don't go with some cheap company that is reluctant to pay claims.

Switching to electric would be cheap and easy.  

You can make money on the US government eventually devaluing the dollar because your debt is nominal, you can pocket the positive cash flow from the rental and take the cheap cash and invest it in a better market overseas.  

For my area that IS cheap. 

.- dump trailer - great option if you do it often and the site has a ramp where you just back up and push a button. but the storage of that thing isn't always easy- you haul it in a truck or a van - been there, done it. cursed it every time. being cheap is never a good thing- using CL - i JUST picked a guy to do my next house interior demo. i had an ad and 10 people replied within 1 hr. i had to shut it down. they have their own tralers, so than charge me a little more than the trailer costs me AND do all the demo. fantastic option- rent a dumpster - love it. if i needed more, i call them or put a vehicle infront and they have to keep it there. sometimes extra days cost me $10 per day. well worth it. i get the 30 or 40 yardersthe problem with dumpsters is that i end up doing most of the work, and i should stop doing that.just my 2 cents

Carpet is cheap.

It's a cheap house and I need to act fast.

It's a perfect storm of: demand, cheap, no other investors like them (buy what's hated), and no one finances them so sell with your own financing.