It's a newer condo so repairs are minimal (appliances here and there and a plumbing issue here and there).it's in a good school district so it should always be easy to rent, but value is very flat so appreciation looks like it'll be minimal moving forward.Thank you!

unlicensed activity because its so prevalent these days is just starting to hit the radar screens of the regulators its going to get tougher..

I have recently been tasked with getting a 100 year old brick three flat in Rogers Park Chicago rent ready.

For me, I'd rather go the drama-free route and eat a month of rent, fix/upgrade/clean the unit, and get it marketed ASAP with tighter screening requirements.

Any competent roofer familiar with flat roof systems can do this for you.

Since it seems you'll be carrying out the owner's wishes, I'd walk away from the % fee mindset and move to the flat fee structure, because it is easier to understand and will most likely turn out better for you. rough swag: $3-5k finders fee, hourly wage at $15-30/hr to manage the renovations, one month's rent to place a tenant. 

It really takes a blow to the motivation seeing all of your hard work fall flat for nothing.

Not controversial, flat out not legal. 

Some are pier and beam and others are flat slab on grade.

For example, if the MD General Assembly decided that they were going to fund the Kirwan recommendations by charging a flat transfer fee of $50,000 per real estate transaction, prices (and your ARV estimate), prices would plummet.There is a macroeconomic link between closing costs/commissions and real estate values, just not one that I think you need to think too much about since its already priced into the recently sold comps.