So I'm in a jam with my wife and I on opposite ends - my parents are buying a new place and need to borrow money ($120k).  Good relationship with us, they have excellent credit, financially responsible, 3 houses paid ...

Like you seem to understand banking on appreciation is very dangerous.

In fact, I've tried to err toward people who give higher quotes, in the hope that there will be fewer surprises once the work is underway.

We haven’t had any danger of frozen lines yet as we are not in freezing temps here.

Many experienced investors have come out and said that cryptocurrency is just a facade and there are other dangers involved that are not visible.

I know the area extremely well along with many other markets in the US... just enough to be dangerous @James Wise like where Jim lives I am going there in search of Rubuen balls..

Either lower class property than advertised or lower cash flow than advertised or most likely both.Must better having fewer higher cost units that have better cash flow than many lower cost units with minimal cash flow.Good luck.

Her son seemed to confirm this (who seems to have no interest in helping her), and she's in danger of losing her home to tax foreclosure by the fall if she doesn't pay in full.

I personally have spent more than 25 years in the petrochemical industry and have had to wear fresh air respirators and full chemical suits in numerous pressure vessels and towers that have had toxic or inert atmospheres that were considered IDLH "Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health", and I still don't have the time nor the desire to worry about how someone's hair or lack thereof would impact whether or not I could work for or with them.

Unless the interior of the house is considered historical, they typically are only concerned with preserving the original exterior details of the house which can include everything from the porch to the roofline so additions and exterior changes can create a major delay or even totally disrupt your intended plan.For me there's fewer unknowns with an old property when I already plan to upgrade everything and am pleasantly surprised when something is in better condition than expected, as opposed to purchasing a cosmetic rehab with tight margins and then later finding out that the plumbing or electrical needs to be replaced or the foundation needs repair.The best thing about real estate is there is a niche for everyone's personality and experience.