My building has lead paint and with fines for not using lead certified painters upwards of 30k the paint job tops 6k.A little dryrot in my bathroom turns into a major job and with a licensed and bonded contractor, 4k+.Add a few odds and ends and it adds up.While the 50% rule holds up, don't use that instead of some good estimating and planning upfront.I have owned this building for 20 yrs.

My biggest worry is that recently bonds the US have gone up, and therefore borrowing costs have gone up.

Is the guy Licensed and Bonded ??

The asset itself could be real estate or any other type of asset -- stocks, bonds etc.Typically the seller, due to some life condition or circumstance, has a need to dispose of the asset quickly, usually at a discount and below actual market value for whatever reason. 

The US is in a housing bubble, bond bubble, student loan bubble, and stock market bubble.

I will tell you that from the world of ALL INVESTORS... including Stocks, Bonds and Real Estate, that kind of return is probably among the top 1% if not the top 0.1%!!!!!

I suspect every state is different.. its not one size fits all for sure.and in Oregon on top of a GC license you as the owner need a DEVELOPERS LICENSE and you need to be bonded and insured as well. even to flip one home a year.. and they are really starting to crack down on this.. trust me I know I have been on the butt end of this LOL 

Still I'm maintaining a presence on Morningstar & the Von Mises Institute to discuss economics, bond & stock markets as well as political theory.

Seasoned and new investors alike will do well to consider these four tips to protect current and future investments.Only Use Licensed ContractorsWhile you may be tempted to go with the cheapest bid, if that contractor is not properly licensed and bonded, you are opening yourself up to potential issues down the road.

Let's not forget the government types, planning and zoning, building regulations, finance department running bond money through.Who else can you learn from?