In my eyes it needs about 20K done to it. 

There are isntances where a buyer may be willing but the appraiser who is under the watchful eyes of bank's underwriting will come up short and hurt you with you projected margin.

Should you stick a needle in your eye?

It appears that, other than Mike's tip regarding audible noises from the floor, most major issues with the foundation can be spotted by a careful, naked-eye inspection.As a follow-up, do both of you (or anyone else that joins the thread subsequently) rule out properties at that point or consult first with an expert to see if the issue is a deal breaker? 

They know how and when to cut costs and someone with a good eye for architecture can look at that floorplan and be like ok this goes here and that goes there. 

In today's real estate market where cap rates are in the 5s, 4s and in Vancouver BC the 2s, it's pretty eye opening to see how long those payback periods are. 5% cap rate = 20 years, 4% = 25 years and 2% = 50 years... and that's just getting back to even! 

Keep an eye on the sold price and back on market for houses you made offers for.

Obviously he could just say no whenever I make an attempt to contact, but how do I get him to stick around long enough to know I'm not trying to make some quick cash from what he has worked hard for in his eyes.

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change right before your eyes."

Darren Sager hosts a monthly meetup featuring podcasts guests in Manhattan that you should definitely keep an eye out for