$25 per month per unit for water and sewage seems low.

. * if I decide to go this route, I would need a realtor who 1) knows Tampa well, 2) who works with investors, 3) has lots of hustle and is responsive, but also has a HIGH level of integrity, 4) who listens well and doesn't waste their client's time showing them properties they know are higher than the client's price range, AND 5) has patience to walk a client through a deal where the client has an extremely demanding job.

For example in washington DC the properties are mostly equity plays where cash flow is very low, but you go 45 minutes outside of DC and you are in it for cash flow.

The in-store, in-stock laminates are cheaper versions of the made to order, at least these days and at Lowes.

So I'll put two appraisals in front of our appraisal department head honcho dude, a normal one and a low quality one, and let him decide which is more credible (obviously this also doesn't work if the first appraisal was credible, done well, and the value just isn't there) and which opinion of value we will use.

If you are selling something high-end, you're probably not going to get away with all low-end beige and gray. 

I am currently searching for my first property, but I am finding it a challenge to make it happen within 70% of the ARV(ARV found using the low end of comps).

I'm looking into buying a garden level condo in Boston (downtown/beacon hill area).

The problem is that most agents don't want to run around and show you 30-40+ houses, put in a bunch of low offers just to find out you can't qualify down the road (not saying you can't qualify, but they don't know that)..

Using that rate may be considered alright or it may be a little low and raise a red flag somewhere.