But a very motivated seller with a property that hasn't sold for 6 months might be extremely motivated and give you all of the above: low rate, flexible terms, and a steep discount.Always ask.  

I rehab houses too, and when the appraiser comes over, they get an extremely detailed list of all the things we did to improve the house - especially those that aren't visible like electric and plumbing.I also work with my agent to price it reasonably based on comps.

The second round of PPP loans are vital for every teal estate investors to take advantage.The new tax credits also passed in the most recent stimulus bill are extremely helpful to the real estate community!

This is extremely helpful, and will definitely take a look through those links @Michael Plaks, think these are exactly what I'm looking for as well.Thank you all again!

Chicago is EXTREMELY neighborhood and block specific, so the data can skew quite easily. 

(tuition, rent, and stuff like that are all covered by either scholarship or my parents helping pay for it, which I am extremely grateful for).

The great thing about SLO is that the vacancy rate is extremely low, typically about 2-3% due to the college.

But I'd take their numbers with extreme caution. 

In the end if there was a problem that persists I would then look into an area rug from somewhere extremely cheap, or a used piece of carpet.

If your market isn't extremely overpriced compared to some of the OOS markets you are looking at then I would consider starting out in your backyard.