There is the Sales Comparison Approach which is based on similar recent sales, the Cost Approach which is based on a value of the land and the cost to replace the existing improvements minus depreciation, and the Income Approach which is based on market rents and a Gross Rent Multiplier which is detemined through market research.Your other statement that banks will appraise the property right around the sale price even if the price is 200 and it's worth 500 is really disturbing.

Since this is more than the purchase price, (due to market forces, or property improvements) it allows the investors to pull out their initial 20% cash investment.

Assuming you don't go up in total amount borrowed (or total loan length) from house to house, and assuming you are making a true profit each time, and assuming you apply that profit to the mortgage, then yes, you will pay off your house more quickly.For this to work, though, the profit needs to be from your improvements (repairs) and not appreciation.

None of this makes any practical sense to me.

After much reading and research, I choose this type of investment for several reasons, not the least of which being it is what I can best afford; vacancies shouldn't be a big problem since its a high rental area; its a low income area, so if I find a sound building, I won't need to spend a lot on improvements to attract tenants (since the tenants wouldn't be able to afford to pay for those rental extras anyway).I'm doing the deal with "no money down-ish" by tapping the equity in my personal residence (HELOC, rate is prime, no margin, 15 year term) for the down payment, and financing the rest at 90% with a conventional 30 yr, 7.75%.

I recently started a home improvement company - albeit mostly to get my sparsely-employed-as-of-late-contractor-boyfriend off the couch..( He is great at what he does, not so at sales, marketing, follow up, paperwork, keeping books, which I am now handling, along with some light assistance to actual physical work)...Anyway I'm starting my first rehab shortly and was planning to just do the work (it's a light job) between he, I and maybe another guy we know.

Unless they have practical skills in the specific domain why ask them.

If your husband is able to frame, plumb and wire (and move ducts) in record time I'd say it's a good bet it'll improve your odds of selling your house.

see what they've done and how much it has cost.i'm sure you're looking because you see some value in it - improvements of the structure and subsequent revenue increases, but with those older buildings you really have to pay attention to the finer points that could land you with big expenses that don't necessarily improve your revenues - i.e. asbestos removal.

I found Rich Dad, Poor Dad to be more motivational and about putting you in the right frame of mind rather than full of day-to-day practical advice.