As a general rule, the faster you can sell a loser, the better!

the owner just had a stroke and has other properities. this one is the only fixer-upper, he basically just wants out. i,m taking an equity loan on my house for $40000 for down payment, closing, and a small credit line(about $12000). my main concern is the labor charges of contractors in my area. the on-hand cash would enable me to get local handymen and cheap laborers to cut into alot of the cost of teardown and disposial. also a friend workes for a local home builder and is willing to do alot of the drywall work and floors on the side.

Most of these custodians charge an annual fee based on assets in your account.

Typically what you see is:5-10% of gross rents collected (some set minimums in addition)50-100% of 1st month's rent for getting a vacant unit rented plus advertising (high in my book)50% of 1 months rent for lease renewal (complete rip off)Some will take a portion of late fees (bad)Many will charge you hundreds of dollars to handle evictions (even though they do nothing but call the lawyer who handles it all)Typically, they also charge $25+ per hour for handyman (who they likely pay WAY LESS)The fees are never-ending.

But if you guys think if I replaced these problems I could charge more for the house and be able to sell it then I would be willing to try it.

I charge them what a bank would for this credit problem say 9 % just for kicks.

There are lenders who are not concerned but those lenders will charge higher rates, have poor terms and pre-payment penalties in many cases. 6 or 12 months seasoning will open up all the normal lending options.As Scott mentioned you really need to understand the refinance assumptions before heading down this path.If you want to pay commercial rates and terms many commercial programs will let you use the appraised value.

I charge a premium when units have hardwood floors and off-street parking that may not be reflected in a general area search.

Next question: How much do you think an attorney would charge to create an assignment contract?

South of you from what I remember.If I remember there is no charge for the meeting.