I'm not in RE by trade and I'm on the road a lot for my day job which means I'm going about getting started in REI the old fashioned way, slow and steady savings. 

Getting an electrician to show up is the important thing and lowest bids don't always show up in a timely fashion. 

Call me old fashion, but I like the idea of having a few months PITI (Principle, interest, tax, insurance). 

UPSTAIRS:  fashion styling retailer M2M, psychiatric office 1 year, OPEN SPACES: 1000 square foot, 5 rooms with receptions area (old dental office), small little single door office (200sq ft), Open space 500sq ft room, electrically fitted for culinary cook kitchen, but could be used for anything. 

I'm not saying ARV is determined by these costs but it is influenced by their existence as the sales price needs to account for covering these costs in some fashion

@Tim Herman@Tim Herman hey Tim Thanks, your exactly what The newbies need, Some good old fashion knowledge.

@Anthony Jeffers if you are getting a HELOC on your primary home then these are regulated in some fashion.  

Do Property Managers often handle the Liability Insurance for their clients in similar fashion?

You have time invested in meeting contractors, I usually get a couple bids, then you have to ensure the work actually gets done in a timely fashion!

Podcasts are great because you can listen to them while you work, and I've always been a huge fan of good, old-fashioned, physical books.