There is a theory that planting mint all around the foundation repels bugs.I just bought a building that had been sprayed monthly for a while and one of the first floor units still had a lot of cockroaches.

Like I said I am new to this as well, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

It's also been two years since I read the original and we all know how reliable memory is..Like any book, take everything with a grain of salt & nothing as gospel, and you will garner plenty of value from it!

If you completely screw up and you end up with water spraying everywhere you can always hire a plumber.

I’m exploring getting into the business myself in the Salt Lake City area.

I would recommend Salt Lake City -- you can find some pretty spiffy rent rates/price ratios and the lifestyle benefits if you ever end up living in it would be pretty attractive :) Oh, and the other thing . . . appreciation is strong in Utah, and several of the SLC submarkets that have the most favorable rent/price ratio are perhaps the most primed for outsized appreciation in the next 1-5 years.   

I am looking to buy my first deal in the Provo area, but the market is so hot right now! I worry that the demand may slow and the market will level off or potentially crash. My Utah Valley people what do you suggest? ...

Going prices for trendy areas in Salt Lake seem almost out-of-control.

Well, if interest rates have gone up significantly in 5 years (and they probably will continue to rise) any bank worth their salt is going to try and re-balance their portfolio to take advantage of higher rates.

I fixed a termite problem by trenching myself with highly potent bug spray.