Without knowing that info, if you're selling the place, I would guess that the basement project you've outlined above has greater potential to "wow" prospective buyers than your oversized garage alternative.

Credit reports simply provide a history of an applicants past trade lines and fairly often, rent is not one of them.Additionally, credit reports do not reflect alternative lending, and knowing that the majority of renters are sub prime or borderline sub prime, this means that your renters will likely have monthly debt obligations that you are completely unaware of when calculating their debt to income ratio.

Put in the wood vinyl floor, it will save you in the long run if the alternative is carpet.

Often, I bought properties without saying ED, simply that other alternatives may exist, which was close enough of a threat, but I'd never put it in a contract and simply try to make it as a clean purchase.

I see a couple of alternatives. 

What's his alternative?

I know what my investment alternatives are and I know what my cost of capital is.

Hi everyone,I am interested in exploring some alternative "think outside the box" financing methods.Is 'zero-down' borrowing possible for investors?

Better alternative is to qualify for conventional mortgages. 

Again, you are entitled to your opinion, but when you use words like "scam" and "ridiculous" and have not even stepped foot inside the meeting, nor have any first hand knowledge, you invite the types of response you are getting (and will continue to get) from folks like me who invest a great deal every month to create an alternative to the "guru-driven" typical REIA model that does nothing to really educate investors how this thing really works.Chris, you're welcome to join us at a future meeting and I look forward to buying you lunch and showing you how we get it done in DC, without the B.S.  ;-)