They bought during the bubble years but besides the siding there's nothing else that needs to be done.I appreciate everyone's input.I'm sure you know, but the "50% of what previous owner paid", while a nice fact, is still pretty meaningless, and you should be comparing to the current MV supported by several good comps.

That might seem scary, but run one of the numerous retirement calculators and that number might look achievable compared to the numbers they cough up.

Also, Hawkeye does not charge any money upfront (except maybe a $49.00 fee, don't remember exactly) which was nice compared to other similar companies I looked at that wanted $1,000-$2,500.

You need to compare the rents to the price of the home.

Again, ask about this up front. finding a good, reliable, fair money source is crucial to success.

Here's my plan:- email all the agents and tell them my criteria, might get lucky here- scour craigslist and mls and make offers until my fingers bleed- don't know any reliable wholesalers but I want to add this to my deal sourcingAny other ideas?

@Simon Campbell : what is the difference between a BPO/Brokers Price Opinion and a CMA/Comparative Market Analysis, which I can get from a local Realtor?

You didn't give any rental info, so it's hard to compare selling to holding long term.

Is there someplace to compare the houses to "TODAYS" prices, not years ago?

So #1 importance in this whole thing is being 100% absolutely positive in the final ARV amount, confirmed by at least 2 different real estate agents and supported by at least 3 comparable SALES, sold within 3 months and within half a mile.