The tenant is a deadbeat lying useless waste of skin.

The point here is, because I thought my bid would only go toward 2007-2008 (and not subsequent years), I calculated my maximum bid way too low.I'd been trying to contact the owners (out of state, inherited the house, in financial difficulty themselves) in vain since September 2014, so I am almost 100% sure that they will not redeem the tax lien, or even know it's been sold. 

The contract price was $339k less the concessions.The other difficulty for this deal was that the purchase price was well under 1/2 the exit price as the rehab was extreme, therefore, the lenders all had their red flags waiving high on this deal.I met the appraiser and provided (on the day of appraisal, not before) the following information: Comps I pulled with photos and descriptions of each, list of repairs with costs and invoices to back it up on my rehab, and letter of explanation of the acquisition price vs. the contract price.I also had a nice conversation with this appraiser over the phone the following day explaining my sympathy for how hard they have to work and how the HVCC rules have really screwed them.Wouldn't you know it, the appraisal came in at contract price which, in my opinion, was very generous.Then, just before closing and after the buyer had already signed loan docs, the lender comes back with "we need a second appraisal.

If a contractor has skin in the game, obviously he will go above and beyond to ensure the project is profitable for himself and the investor. 

Assuming its a good opportunity/good colateral, the debt is easiest to secure and equity is significantly more difficult. I

The person you spoke with may be referencing earnest money deposit (buyer showing the seller they have skin in the game; this can be refundable or non refundable).Some lenders require an application fee (junk fee) and those lenders typically are more expensive to begin with.

Like a snake shedding its skin, I severed ties with those who drained my spirit and clouded my judgment with their deceit and greed.

Difficulty working with architecture firms to draw plans, fix them, fix them again, and working to get an inspection from the DOB.

I am also a recent college graduate and am looking for an entry level job in the real estate world to gain some experience and knowledge, but the job search has been difficult. I

That's just how it works when you can't put skin in the game so to speak.