On a purchase appraisal, they have the contract price as a data point and target number - it's essentially a pass/fail evaluation of the purchase price. 

They are evaluating cities on the computer or through a "guru" and then trusting everything.With what other said I still think you can always invest in your own market or nearby.

If so, then hopefully she's comparing and evaluating them more than you realize.

For those suggesting alternative heating fuels, here is a link to a spreadsheet provided by the federal gov't to evaluate best choices:http://www.eia.gov/neic/experts/heatcalc.xls

So size is not the only component to the equation.When getting a loan the larger apartment buildings you can lock in longer term debt for retirement versus a 5 to 7 year commercial loan from a local bank.The books are generally better to evaluate on larger buildings versus an owner operator of 20 units or under.

From what I've found most packages are either evaluating an investment property or managing it.

I have a deal where the owner of two SFH's wants to sell but both homes are on the same lot. Is one considered a guest home and how do you appraise the value of each?

Evaluating 1 - 4 unit properties is pretty straightforward.

For some tenants the deterrent of not having their lease renewed can be effective in improving their performance.For the demographic I deal with, the problem with late fees is that if they are occasioned by difficulty in paying the rent it makes the thing they are trying to prevent (late rent, no rent) that much more likely.Running a business entails evaluating the commercial smarts of any course of action and is  more nuanced than just trying to collect every dollar a contract says you entiltled to.

We like the strategy of finding/purchasing property in an areas that supports a higher GRM than the property we're evaluating.