What about future assumptions for repairs and maintenance?

if one has a good friend that is in the contracting business, able to do a lot of the renovations himself. what kind of partnership proposal would entice someone like that to maybe provide renovation at a very low cost?

Vacancy, property management, maintenence/repairs, cap ex, and any neighborhood association fees are the main ones I'm thinking of.

I personally like dark hardwood, but they present maintenance issues... dust and dirt, pet hair, scratching, etc.

Look for smaller banks offering low cost options.

Hi all,One of the keys of effective negotiation is to have some way to justify a really low (or high) offer. 

High demand but low supply

I suggest looking for value-add opportunities such as disrepair, low rents, and other signs of poor management.

As you go down the scale of desirability, the price goes down, until you reach the small station, in a bad location, hard to get to, in a low income neighborhood, with environmental compliance issues.  

Interest rates are so low right now that you should be buying as much as you can afford to create cashflow.