I would suggest that if you do bird dog have them sign a fee agreement for your services in advance.

What service do you use for your electronic forms?

Instead, they are added to the purchase cost and depreciated, starting from the date the unit is "in service" - which is now.Example: the cost of the duplex is $200,000 and renovations to the second unit are $20,000.$100,000 is the personal unit. $100,000 is the rental unit. $100k + $20k = $120k.

I just received a letter today from the attorney at this firm asking for a retainer of $500 and stating the average cost for their foreclosure services is $5000.

Things like get HVAC units serviced, check all the plumbing for running toilets or dripping sinks, add CFL bulbs to common areas, etc.What might be safe is to invest $200k, then save $40k.

Hey guys I have been reading through posts on here about skip tracing and I have yet to see someone definitively recommend a skip tracing service, or say who to stay away from.

A station will be opened at Stockton/Washington with service starting in 2019 so expect the demand of property within walking distance of that station to appreciate in the following years.

Probably the only sellers that would sell this way would be those who have very distressed homes, so I look at these services as more of a wholesaler with marketing on steroids because of their wide reach. 

AND with an additional caveat: the PROVABLE cash flow from the property must service the debt with a cushion of at least 20 -25%, so a debt service coverage ratio of 1.2 - 1.25.That being said, the 'gap' can, in some cases, be filled by seller carrying back a second lien. 

If it helps, I have found that on average 1 in 40 properties has unpaid tax bill within 3 months of the tax bill due date.I also provide email append, phone append, and demographic append services for the collected data, and if available by the county deed/mortgage information.