Used my skills of home improvement savings a lot of money in labor.

Still rented out.Final numbers/budget break-down are shown in excel below.Final Renovation Budget Dec 2017Key lessons learned>Incorporate security into renovation plans>>Allocate budget for fencing, securing perceived weak points and window coverings >>Time is money – I could have subcontracted a lot of this work out very early on and finished the house in <4wks vs letting it stretch out over seven months, two break-ins and a hurricane, not to mention lost rental income (could have rented the bedrooms out starting in late April vs mid-July)Stuff I can do now that I couldn’t before>Install flooring and baseboard (market rate is $2-3 sq ft for labor)>Remove a toilet, floor a bathroom and install a new toilet in <90minutes>Remove/Install sinks>Repair exterior housing>Backsplash tilingNow for the before & after photosScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.04.11 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.04.25 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.03.56 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.05.21 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.04.55 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.06.24 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.06.16 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.06.08 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.04.40 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 7.05.37 AMLIVINGBEFOREAFTERScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 6.50.41 AMScreen Shot 2017-12-15 at 6.50.50 And the final professional photos - not bad for a $24k rehab!

OP, Joe Splitrock is right. 

Not spectacular, but healthy.6) The demand for local, skilled labor is very high to accomodate all the develop taking place now and on the grid.After Detroit, I plan to buy in another market (besides California), but I'm focusing on one market at a time.  

There are also weekly meeting at TANIS Group Realty in Algonquin, which is owned and run by @Joe Mueller which I highly recommend and is not far from you at all. 

They did a lot of work and were trusting that I would pay them for their labor. 

Joe 

I do new construction projects and there are investors like me in my neighborhood who do similar deals and our costs even vary widely because of supplier relationships, specific finishes we use, labor costs, etc.  

A real estate investor has a higher chance of being sued than your average joe. 

Thanks, Joe.