Everything else aside, I think it's nice to see the both the public and private sectors trying to be creative to solve the housing crisis.

So now instead of a 2 bdrm 3rd floor apt, buying someone else's condo, he owns a 3 bdrm, 2bth in a nice neighborhood, and his roommate moved in and helps him pay the mortgage, so his payments are about the same.

A big problem I see is people exchanging trying to use their attorney or real estate broker to hold the funds.With a few exceptions all of these are considered disqualified parties:A close family member or a controlled corporation,partnership,or trust.OREmployee,attorney accountant,investment banker or broker,real estate agent or broker.If you use these people you can get disqualified from the exchange and create a taxable event.You have to use a proper QI or years later you can get a nice surprise from the IRS.Some clients have asked me and I tell them they need to place the funds and the whole process with a proper QI.No legal advice

The prices in Roseville are a bit better, is Roseville a nice area to live in as well?

The not so nice, the not so easy to clean up, the not so desirable.

Fix any broken tiles like you would a dent in a car.Just put a nice new tub mat to cover the stain.

I try to keep this from happening early on in the discussion with my contractors -- I'm nice, but very firm about my expectations (and what I have to offer in return for working with me).

It is very nice to have a homebase to operate from.

Macomb County has some nice areas (I spent 23 years there) but it also borders Detroit at 8 mile.

Couple that with a nice double-digit CAP and annual ROI and you may have a winner.I think fire damaged homes are a great target for wholesalers.