So here you would actually have to pay for an inspection and supply the report to the seller.

Is it actually fixed to the house? 

., income + appreciation).By the way, I assumed that the duplex was actually a single unit. $550K for two units would have been a steal ;-)Let me know if you need some help finding another rental.

It's actually in pretty good shape, just wild choices in style.

The investor would have to go to the trouble of finding out who owns the note, who the actual decision maker is, and whether they are even interested in selling the note.

I don't mind, as I am not chomping at the bit to get the rent at the first of the month and I actually like getting that extra 5% in late fees. 

I'm actually trying to get a commercial loan.

nope, these two actually have the documented ability to make the payments at a reasonable debt-to-income ratio.I'm coming up with ballpark $345k/mo PITI (my homeowner's insurance assumption might not be accurate, I didn't pull the actual property tax bill, and I don't know if there is an HOA so I left it at $0).

Wall wash with TSP prior to painting if possible,, if the ceilings are flat (not popcorn) wash also, a sponge mop with a towel over it works great and fast..2 buckets one wash one rinse.you wash everything,, doors, trim, floors, cabinets, light fixtures, all windows glass and tracks.Bleach is ok to use but I've found that TSP is best thing to actually REMOVE the nicotine,, you'll be shocked when you see how well it works. 2 Prime, Kilz primer to seal anything your going to paint.3 Remove all blinds, throw them away the plastic retains the odor and they'll be gross anyway.4 Air Ducts if you can reach inside wash out.. then spray Kilz in them as far as you can reach with the system off.  

it would actually be incredibly smart