After looking at about 50 properties over the past year I believe I may have finally found one in Phoenix, AZ.

Rob,What I have seen is, the seller will lower the final purchase price by 3%.

He finally uploaded photos the day before guests arrived and the place looked decent but there were a lot of things that were shoddily done. 

I see more Astro games so I have no choice.

That's how I think about it, because the reality is you had the choice to sell 100% of the flipped house and use that money towards another investment instead of taking out 30% and renting it. 

The first is to provide housing in the area of our choice (awatukee foothills) for our childrens school district (my husband and I have 5 children 14,13,8,4,2).

Then you're going to quit your job where you would have been able to absorb those capital expenditures or they would have paid for themselves over time because the properties were cash flowing (and continue to cash flow) where if something happened in the newer properties in the cyclical markets and you had already quit your job, you would be stuck.Not much of a choice, but I say go midwest.Stephanie

When the property is paid off in 15 years, I will have the choice of 1) Enjoy the 'bumped up' cash flow of about $1200 per month 2) Do a 'refinance' or 'cash out' of say 180K on a now 240K property and let the renters ALSO pay that off for me or 3) Sell the property outright for 240K. 

After doing some research on the internet and talking to my mentor I finally found out what it is....ROACH POOP!!!! 

This answer should continue to drive your choices as you invest.