Perhaps I can take a second look at what I can really afford and make a smart go at it.I've got time, and I understand that patience is key to making a smart decision.

What kind of a business would you be considering to trade with?

Keep trying to build the relationships with the decision makers at the various lenders.

Wow, wish I could be facing this decision right now.

Regarding retail, become a member of the ICSC and go to the trade shows so you can meet the retail company reps that select their sites.

I guess it would take more info to make the best decision here...

So, you really shouldn't be making any purchasing decisions based on the rule.Use the rule to help determine if a deal is a possibly good deal, and then if the deal looks promising based on the 50% rule, dig in further to the actual income/expenses associated with the property.In some cases, 50% will be way off (low or high), so making any decisions based on the rule could hurt you in the long run.As for your specific question about the property with the low taxes, keep in mind that a reassessment by the county could change that quickly.

It allowed me to do my analysis and make a decision.

Changing things after the fact is normally bad as too many decisions could be impacted without warning.

It allowed me to do my analysis and make a decision.