My question is, if I gross $1100 rent on a property, spend $100 on random utilities, small repairs, etc. do I subtract those expenses from my 20% before depositing into my long term savings?

Just randomly give away a free $5 starbucks card for the first person to answer a simple question (can be housing related or not--it's just more for fun). 

you ever tell random people that you happen to be friends with on facebook but never met them in person that you are an investor?

My situation is a bit different, but if I was to rent out to a random person from Craiglist, I would vet them to the nines. 3) Yes.

When you realize you dont have to scour the internet anymore for random tidbits of RE information haha.

That's pretty random - I wouldn't be too hard on yourself, but yeah, good to develop a procedure so it doesn't happen again :)

Without plans and product specifications a contractor is throwing out random numbers as well.

reminds me of my experience with my duplex. 3 different accounts for one address and they tried to put 600 dollars of random unpaid bills in my name.

That's what makes this community so great, I can ask a pretty random question and I have several people who are willing to help.  

- one month of random home value fluctuations is going to be more than $500, meaning it is within the margin of error where random chance means far more than what is being negotiated over, meaning it is statistically equal to zero dollars.Deals cannot be allowed to fall apart over statically zero dollars.