I've read somewhere online that you should do the latter, but at the same time if I were to calculate ROI as if it was a potential new purchase I would base the calculation on the downpayment, right?

If anyone has tips or things to watch out for, please provide.  

Of course this costs more.Every comodity market has ebbs and flows, that's why people observe it as cyclical.

Any tips on this?

The cable company will have the equipment delivered, of course. 

I start my pre-licensing course next week to obtain a real estate license.

You can also set up online payments.

I now try to purchase most of my rehab items online and you'll save a ton compared to going to a home depot or Lowes.

Sophisticated investors are focusing on how an asset performs over the course of time.

-Start attending local real estate investing meetups-Go in with the purpose of identifying real estate investors who are in the niche you are interested in-Do research on the investors (based on conversations and their online presence)-Brainstorm ways you can add value to their business-Instead of offering to add value to their business, do it first and then offer the valueThis is actually how I get started working for a syndication company.