I am currently looking at a REO that has been on the market for 240 days in decent condition, and the bank dropped the price from $120k to 90k with homes retailing for around $140-160k with upgrades.

Our cost was around 41k with all repairs and upgrades (many of which were simply spending more money than was needed to make the computer model "say" we would save 50% on energy and thus get half our money back!

I just hope they last as long as suggested.I used these in the house, and love them: http://www.homedepot.com/buy/ecosmart-6-in-95-watt-65w-led-downlight-e--eco-575l.html#.UMjSocWHKSo-Steven

The house sold for $26,500 last fall and the owner put about $3k in upgrades.

A lot of them choose to change locations when it is time to upgrade equiptment.

You might consider just stating that you are there to perform an estimate on reparis/upgrades or something for the owner.

Are you planning to make the proposed repairs and upgrades?

Without the "code upgrade" coverage, the insurance company is probably going to stand their position.Maybe Tim W will re-visit BP to answer this insurance question; he's the BP insurance coverage pro.

They are for rentals, but all you need to do is upgrade the fixtures and cabients to the quality of the flip.For the tile, you can add some expensive border tile (accent) or lay them in a fancy way to make everything look expensive.

I've owned the house for 10.5 years, and over the years, have put several thousands of dollars over my purchase price in maintenance and upgrades.