Welcome @Rory GillI am from Arlington - Winchester,Live in LA CA now.Check out http://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/3-reiskills-and...I work in the arenas of No Equity Deal Acquistions on Sub2, Wraps and Lease Options, JVs w Sellers, Installment Sales on Free and Clear Homes - Multis, Master Lease Options, and Private Lender Marketing.

In localities having a winter design temperature of 32°F (0°C) or lower as shown in Table R301.2(1) of this code, a water, soil or waste pipe shall not be installed outside of a building, in exterior walls, in attics or crawl spaces, or in any other place subjected to freezing temperature unless adequate provision is made to protect it from freezing by insulation or heat or both.

@John MarinoYou can be a real estate operator instead of investor without using banksLow equity deals, buy subject to or wrap aitd , exit strategy lease or lease to ownLow equity deals,lease to own and then assign for a feeMinor rehabs, do a joint venture with the seller instead of a wholesale, use private money for the minor rehab, create a note for the seller table for months after the rehabFree and clear houses, learn about installment sales at IRS.gov, offer 105% of FMV but get  the payment of installment sale low, search imputed interest table on the IRS site, show the seller that installment sale private mortgage is a way for them to further their retirement plan, and the payment can survive their death, payment can go to their heirs or to a charityThere are more things you can do without banks :)@Josh Caldwell

GFCI installation, leaking faucet in kitchen, etc..).The home appraised for $200,000. 

A house inspector is not able to do that and a homemade door would also be a liability issue for all involved in its installation. 

@Shanda WilliamsMany Realtors will make an installment sale look not attractive.Here are steps I take to make installment sales attractive.3 columns1.

I have a new tenant who gets free satellite service as a perk for his job as an installer.

We put around $15k out of our own pockets into it, and used an energy efficiency loan ($15k) to insulate, install new windows, and add an ASHP with ductwork.

If you really really want to buy an apartment in New York City the first thing you should do is to go to a Mortgage originator and go to FTC.gov and download your free credit report and bring that with youYour past credit history is not the biggest problem; what is the biggest problem is that you are aggressive in building new referencesThe fastest way to build a stronger credit report is to do what's called "bank round robin"Take $1000 and go to bank one like Bank of New York, and talk to the manager and say that youd like to build a credit rating and get a mortgage within 12 monthsTheyll give you a secured loan with your thousand; then you take that thousand and go to bank to like Wells FargoTell the bank manager the same thing, that you want to pledge that thousand as a secured CD or savings account and get a  $1000 loanThese are called installment loans and now your job is to double up on payments on both loansSo it say your payments $80 a month with each loan or 160 for both of them every monthYou then make four payments every month and they'll be paid off in six monthsAt the end of six months you have 2 open accounts with two banks on installment loans, and paid as agreed with zero balancesYou may want to take one of those credit cards and establish credit at Macy's or other department stores with no more than two of them; Buy something and pay it off right away or keep a small balance because credit utilization rate is an important factor; this means keeping a 30 to 40% balance and even though it cost interest get you more points on your FICO scoreYour length of job in the same industry, you length of residency in the same place, and how you pay your bills on time will build a credit rating faster than anythingFYI I do lease-option assignments where I help the tenant buyers get mortgagesThis plan works faster than anythingGood luck

I would get a couple more quotes on liner install and you should be able to kerp the project costs 750-1,000 instead of 5,000, in my opinion.