Try and have them bid " apples for apples".1- Windows   , Vinyl, Low E.2- Six panel doors and no jambs but new trim.3- two tone paint, these two colors.4- New bathroom vanity, toilet, and remove old tile with new tile. 12' X 24".Etc , etc.Brent is smart and great article, I am just adding my point of view from a seasoned  Re- hab contractor!               

I have gotten creative, but as long as it has working bathroom, kitchen, and furnace, I have secured the loan. 

Added a bedroom and bathroom, pushged the envelope on custom design.

I certainly don’t plan on halting my investing, so my other option is just to keep investing in Columbus (where I believe I’ll end back up at the end of this rotation anyways) as I move to different locations and essentially become an out of state investor.

The terms with my family member is an interest only payment and then we set the balloon payment to be within 3 years (planning on doing it once we hit a one year mark- the deal is essentially one house now and their second house in 6 months so we figure this plan for now gives us a good timeframe for our first two houses!).

Plumbing, bathrooms and kitchens are also a pain.If you can get parking and meters to supply the numbers you want those two items are also important!

The upgrades are mostly easy stuff like flooring, paint, updated bathroom that should have a good ROI.

Essentially what happened is that the seller's attorney requested a bill from the water company. 

I can see through pictures that some parts of the house could use a touch up, paint, new appliances, or tile in the bathroom but I'm having trouble quickly understanding what this number would be and what I should make as an initial offer. 

The inspection stated not all was level, but fully functional.Main problems:- Low soil clearance or *no* clearance crawlspace - under the entryway and under the bathroom could not be accessed at all unless crawlspace is dug out.