We avoid this in Riverside by not playing in the MLS, but if you are going to play in the MLS, remember that you need to tailor your offer to the property to maximize results.

Also there's closing costs. correct me if I'm wrong but can't you refinance with a HELOC in 6 months and avoid most closing costs?

It might be a good idea to have some units that are slightly out of that range to avoid direct competition.

They all will decrease the probability of the risk wished to avoid but with a negatively increasing yield.

Interesting article.Personally, I'd steer clear of any sort of funding - there are enough places in Europe (for the gamblers) or Asia (for the growth-oriented) to be able to avoid any sort of debt.

Chris,There is one good reason that I was told to avoid flipping in personal name - to not be labeled as "dealer" status.

Here are 3 tips for avoiding popular lending scams:1.Run away from fee collectors: A lending scam is usually present if high, upfront fees are paid directly to the lender.2.Obtain references from the lender: Although real references are hard to verify, always ask for references from the lender’s clients.

I have heard many be surprised by unexpected expense that could have been avoided, such as sewer repair costs.Also I think a lot of new investors are optimistic on:-holding costs (including interest, taxes, utilities, hoa dues etc.)

., than almost any other source and a substantial amount of your investment time should be spent legally avoiding these as much as possible.

Not sure exactly what year it was, but also remember my husband upset that he had made more that month in the stock market doing no work than he did working for 2 weeks of his vacation to buy the house and turn it over, so that was an aspect at the time as well, although if I remember the market only lasted another 6-8 months before crashing, while our rentals held their value.