@Fred Heller and @John Thedford I was told by another investor filling the pool here with the size can cost me up to $5,000.I walked out of the deal to avoid the troubles and there are many other things to fix as well that are non-pool related.Thanks for the advices!

An investor would commit x amount of capital (for a specific deal or for the purpose of acquiring properties), and then I would take a portion of the equity for finding, rehabbing, and managing the properties.  

As I think about creative ways to obtain my first property, I can't help but think a little outside the box.I own a lawn maintenance business and while we mainly deal with residential (better money), the company can handle small to mid sized commercial properties.

It's a neighborhood I love and I could actually see expanding my portion of living space over time.

Also, some banks will run a portion of proposed short sales thru auction.com looking to "verify" the price.  

The market will not support cash flow on a rental this size so I don't consider that an option.

@Vince Futia  check with your local laws to see if they allow an extra amount for a pet deposit (not allowed here in NJ) and definitely ask for another $25-$50 per month depending upon the number, size and what type of pet it is.  

What size property are you looking for?

I've worked on a few of my own homes so I've got the tools and the DIY skills to do the job well.Below is a portion of the last blog post I wrote, but I wanted to share what I learned this weekend with as many people possible because I think there are a lot of people making the same mistake I started to make.  

3) do I have to pay full property taxes, or just a portion for the amount of time the house is in my possession?