I’m looking for rentals in a new area of investment for myself and am noticing that many of the listings do not have Central AC.Can someone tell me of their experiences and thoughts on buying duplexes/tri’s and the sort with window units VS Central AC.The area that I’m looking at generally has a fast turn around for renters, as the area is growing and has a large college nearby.Also, How long do your window units last in comparison with what the manufacturer suggests?

Also, thanks Lane for that comparison...6% definitely sounds better than 8.5%.

.....................2,723.00(-) Mortgage at 4.4% 25% DP.........2,704.00Monthly cashflow.....................19.00 So looking at this I'm thinking:- Property seems to break even, but good potential for appreciation with TLC and considering the developing neighborhood- For reference it doesn't meet the 1% rule, but gets 0.6%, which looks better than many properties in LA- Large out of pocket for down payment, closing costs and rehab My context:-I'm considering househacking for personal reasons such as: proximity to work, for getting started in rei, because I want to be hands-on in the process and be around the property (at least the first) to learn everything, not necessarily looking for cashflow-If I moved in then of course the cashflow would become negative, but let's consider good odds of minimizing expenses and growing rents, and this negative cashflow does not exceed what I currently pay in rent- In a market comparison of 30-40 properties this triplex seems to be a little slightly below market valueConclusion: When it comes to cashflow and money down this doesn't seem like a good deal, but it looks like an interesting option to me personally.

The best advise I can give you right now is to educate yourself on real estate investing (a lot of resources available to you), so you have some general idea of what would be acceptable by the means of society as well as comparison of what other people are getting.

. #1: Warm water and warm weatherIt all comes down to personal preference but to me, as an avid snorkeler and SCUBA diver, there is no comparison between Hawai'i and these locations in FL.

I have a software that can show multiple scenarios side by side so you can see the payments and other details for comparison if you are needing more information to help you make a decision.

Discount/buy-down points are discretionary to the buyer and should be zeroed out for an apples-to-apples comparison.

If someone can provide a model to work from to begin a comparison, that would be super appreciated. 

Each market has pros and cons, but most plays will be made for cash flow and not as much for appreciation, especially in comparison to the West Coast markets.

I might as well ask another question since on this topic, is there a way to determine flood insurance costs and comparisons using the tools for the Houston and surrounding areas?