Hi Everyone,I am new to this sight and real estate investing all together.  

Finally I learned more about it and realized that it's just a lack of education.So to answer your question, if you are in an area that really doesn't allow for cash flow, my assumption is usually one of two things: 1. the owner bought the property decades ago when it was cheaper (whether they meant to or not or even knew what they were doing), or 2. they are losing money at a decent speed.Although, with all of that said, the 1 and 2% rules are much harder to come by these days than they were even 2 or so years ago. 2% is pretty much out of the question unless you buy in the ghetto, but 1% is still decently doable in a lot of markets.

True, thank you for your reply, i have had my sights on single family in palmdale / lancaster california area.  

***My question is where do I start with trying to find a good price to throw at him so that we can purchase the property so my Mother-In-Law won't lose their current church location while the new church is being built????

Although it would have to be a hard money or private loan because we really have our sights set on as is foreclosure properties. 

With hud unless you're an owner occupant you will probably lose your earnest money if you back out due to inspection issues.

You should compare this cost to what you will lose if you renig on the deal at the closing...I would say this is not worth panicking about...If the analysis you did pre-bid was good (cash flow positive !!!)

( here is how good transactions go down)  Most win and some lose its a investment and most can be controlled if you follow the correct processes ...  

I have a full time job with great pay and a very flexible schedule, and am looking to start investing in order to build an additional income stream with a goal of ultimately have my real estate cover all or most of my family's living expenses, and from there just building wealth over time.I live in San Francisco with my wife and two boys, but since the real estate market here seems highly competitive, i've set my sights on my hometown of Tucson, Arizona.

I was thinking of selling the second one and discovered that getting out is not as easy without losing money as purchasing since I purchased it at close to market.