@David ShirtsIn my experience, seller financing can be a game-changer, especially for properties with clear titles or when traditional loans aren't an option.

There's some traditional lenders in there, too.

Light Cosmetic: $25-$40 per sq. ft.

When it corrects there are typically just a greater amount of opportunity especially when there was a large run up to the correction by those who did not follow traditional risk mitigation measures when investing.

@Maria Jeanette Using a self-directed IRA (SDIRA) for real estate investment offers control over asset selection and tax advantages, such as tax-deferred growth (Traditional IRA) or tax-free growth (Roth IRA).

Yes you will need a permit. 1) you will need to add outlets on each wall as per code...and of course switches for any lights or fans.

That said, I completely understand your concern about deals looking "too good to be true" when you’re putting in 50% down.To avoid this, it’s best to analyze properties as if you were using more traditional financing (20-25% down).

We do some cosmetic improvements to bring homes to our standard, typically carpet and paint, upgrade lighting etc.

Quote from @Stuart Udis: Not creative, but good real estate and traditional financing is almost always better than incredible seller financing terms and lousy real estate.

@Raj VardhanI agree with @Evan Polaski regarding the 6-Month Seasoning Rule: Most traditional lenders require a 6-month holding period before you can do a cash-out refinance.