Rents are very low here.

Essentially, there are three options:Invest in the Bay Area: High prices, low returns.

Account ClosedI did a few years as a Lowes sub.

., upload them to CL, put a ridiculously low price, and watch the phone ring.

This means I likely won't be buying a killer deal, but I will still be paying a low-ish mortgage.

$25 per month per unit for water and sewage seems low.

. * if I decide to go this route, I would need a realtor who 1) knows Tampa well, 2) who works with investors, 3) has lots of hustle and is responsive, but also has a HIGH level of integrity, 4) who listens well and doesn't waste their client's time showing them properties they know are higher than the client's price range, AND 5) has patience to walk a client through a deal where the client has an extremely demanding job.

For example in washington DC the properties are mostly equity plays where cash flow is very low, but you go 45 minutes outside of DC and you are in it for cash flow.

The in-store, in-stock laminates are cheaper versions of the made to order, at least these days and at Lowes.

So I'll put two appraisals in front of our appraisal department head honcho dude, a normal one and a low quality one, and let him decide which is more credible (obviously this also doesn't work if the first appraisal was credible, done well, and the value just isn't there) and which opinion of value we will use.