In some areas that I buy in, there are third parties that certify the taxes and municipal utilities that have been paid and which are still due; this certification took over 1 week for a purchase I made at end of 2011.

The aspect of the 20% limitation, the real costs of improvements are excluded and profits can be made at the 20% amount on materials and labor.

-Places to look for purchasing, materials, equipment, etc?

you have to look at what it costs for the hard and soft costs (plans/permits/engineering and materials/labor) plus the cost of the land. 

You can get cheap building materials usually from Habitat for Humanity ReStores (if you have any around).Then, your nights and weekends are going to spent sacrificing every moment getting those units fixed up to the point they are rentable.

I should have him payed within a month, then I have to save for my roofing material.

Those holding costs may be different for you but are generally, utilities, the actual payments on the house if you have any, maintenance like gardener or what not, and insurance.So 65%ARV - Rehab = Purchase PriceOriginally posted by Shannon Xerri:if paying in cash how much should you bring down the price, but still beat all the other offers?

As for the pipes: I was talking to a local real estate investor friend yesterday evening, and she was telling me about one of her houses that had material (wiring?)

I have a statement on my lease that says: "The cost for repairs and cleaning necessary to restore property to pre-occupancy condition (beyond normal wear and tear) will be deducted from the security deposit at the rate of $50 per hour plus the cost of materials."

@Kim BlattYou may want to look into a self-directed solo 401k plan if you are looking for ultimate control over your retirement funds.Following are the similarities and differences between the solo 401k and the self-directed IRA.The Self-Directed IRA and Solo 401k Similarities Both were created by congress for individuals to save for retirement;Both may be invested in alternative investments such as real estate, precious metals tax liens, promissory notes, private company shares, and stocks and mutual funds, to name a few;Both allow for Roth contributions;Both are subject to prohibited transaction rules;Both are subject to federal taxes at time of distribution;Both allow for checkbook control for placing alternative investments;Both may be invested in annuities;Both are protected from creditors;Both allow for nondeductible contributions;Both are prohibited from investing in assets listed under I.R.C. 408(m).The Self-Directed IRA and Solo 401k DifferencesIn order to open a solo 401k, self-employment, whether on a part-time or full-time basis, is required;To open a self-directed IRA, self-employment income is not required;In order to gain IRA checkbook control over the self-directed IRA funds, a limited liability company (IRA LLC)  must be utilized;The solo 401k allows for checkbook control from the onset;The solo 401k allows for personal loan known as a solo 401k loan;It is prohibited to borrow from your IRA;The Solo 401k may be invested in life insurance;The self-directed IRA may not be invested in life insurance;The solo 401k allow for high contribution amounts (for 2016, the solo 401k contribution limit is $53,000, whereas the self-directed IRA contribution limit is $5,500);The solo 401k business owner can serve as trustee of the solo 401k;The self-directed IRA participant/owner may not serve as trustee or custodian of her IRA; instead, a trust company or bank institution is required;When distributions commence from the solo 401k a mandatory 20% of federal taxes must be withheld from each distribution and submitted electronically to the IRS by the 15th of the month following the date of each distribution;Rollovers and/or transfers from IRAs or qualified plans (e.g., former employer 401k) to a solo 401k are not reported on Form 5498, but rather on Form 5500-EZ, but only if the air market value of the solo 401k exceeds $250K as of the end of the plan year (generally 12/31);When funds are rolled over or transferred from an IRA or 401k to a self-directed IRA, the amount deposited into the self-directed IRA is reported on Form 5498 by the receiving self-directed IRA custodian by May of the year following the rollover/transfer.Rollovers (provided the 60 day rollover window is satisfied) from an IRA to a Solo 401k or self-directed IRA are reported on lines 15a and 15b of Form 1040;Pre-tax IRA contributions on reported on line 32 of Form 1040;Pre-tax solo 401k contributions are reported on line 28 of Form 1040;Roth solo 401k funds are subject to RMDs;A Roth 401k may be transferred to a Roth IRA (Note that from a planning perspective, it may be advantageous to transfer Roth Solo 401k funds to a Roth IRA before turning age 70 ½ in order to escape the Roth RMD requirement applicable to Roth 401k contributions including Roth Solo 401k contributions and earnings.)