It is reported up to 30 percent of prisoners are there for drug related offences and of that maybe 75 percent are marijuana offences.

Time spent as an employee in real property activities counts o nly if the taxpayer is more than a 5 percent owner.SECOND TEST: Does taxpayer spend more than 750 hours in real property businesses and rentals in which he materially participates?

I haven't had any evictions or occupancy problems"Cheryl I would suspect this is for a few reasons.Washington D.C. is a anomaly with unemployment a little over 1 percent last time I heard.So with all the government bloat and red tape,and programs that aren't working there is money to be made working close to the Capitol.We are a a spending economy so it stands to reason in Washington with employment so low and people having jobs they will spend.This will lead to stability and less evictions and lay offs and more jobs.They are feeding the machine up there but with a high cost to everyone else in the future.Anything will work for a time before imploding.

I believe my estimates for repair and maintainence are higher due to the fact that my property management company charges 15 percent to $50 whichever is lower to oversee repairs.

Make sure the overall duplex deal fits real close into the 50 percent rule.

I recently came across Zillow's "Most Undervalued Market" list and noted Merced was number one, along with a few other valley cities making the list.A lot of investors I talk to do not have much good to say about the valley, but the two percent rule seems to be attainable there.

thanks to all posters,,,Aaron, To introduce you to this house it is built right after the WW2 era, late forties or early fifties.

Roofing materials for a gaf lifetime roof average about $150 a sq.

As far as rents on this property I could bring them up to 500.00 but I am not one hundred percent positive on that...

If you buy with only a few percent down payment, you're stuck with making up that difference on the back end.Your hope is you get enough appreciation to cover those costs.