Yale Drive, to sound like a broken record, has some good and some bad, usually not too bad though.

As far as utilization goes, any amount reporting will have a negative effect on the score unless it is the $2 trick (which is an advanced topic) the negative effect becomes more pronounced as you pass the 10%usage level.

Depending on your area, renting short-term and long-term can be very profitable as the TDYers have lodging allowances that are based on the average daily rate for a hotel, usually $2800-$4000 per month.

Well usually you have to take into consideration multiple factors but as you have said it is quite a small place so that makes it somewhat easier.

I don't wish to try and take advantage of anyone but I have a feeing more work needs to be done that I'm seeing, and I'm scared to offer more.Any opinions (positive or negative) are certinly welcome.

(West Oakland is usually 2 steps forward, 1 to 2 steps back through each economic cycle.)

I'm usually pretty reticent to post introductions, but here goes!

Do you have cash reserves to cover the first few months you may be Cash Flow negative?

Buy some property in NJ, where you live.Chinese property usually do not cash flow at all, even worse than CA.

Usually, the general contractor you hire would have done the trash and for a 469 single family, I think an architect is overkill.