Betting on appreciation and future rent increases is simply speculation.Mike

Most of the popular books are long on motivation and short on techniques that will actually help you do something.

There is no way to determine how much a broker/lender earns because as the other poster has indicated, there are several ways for a lender to earn his/her livelihood...Junk fees, YSP and SRP are just a few ways lenders generate income per loan...Further complicating this issue is the current disclosure laws in place; brokers are required to disclose YSP, while lenders do not have to. 4.5% is ridiculous regardless of loan size; I bet your current broker loves you!

-I'd paint the walls, some neutral color like a darker beige that seems to be so popular these days.

That being said, an experienced realtor will be your best bet in finding something and actually buying it.

There is nou doubt your best bet will be with the farm credit system.

Very good information r2d2 and I bet you are making very good money doing what he just wrote.

I would bet that this property will not cash flow.

Your best bet is to contact a title company and get an idea of what the various charges would be. 8)

You can always bet on flooring and paint commonly known as a lipstick house which is sometimes harder to find at a steep discount.