He states he can't rent or sell property due to smoke smell..I doubt that.the house was built in 1951.there are numerous cracks in ceiling from house settling, wood floors need redone plus two round stains from kerosene heaters from last tenants,the bathroom is original pink tiles, kitchen cupboards falling off walls,leaking roof,leaked prior in spare room was patched and never painted, the whole house is a fixed upper.I think he's trying to pass the buck onto me so he can repair to sell, not due to smoke smell.Can I take him to court for my refund or will be win.I live in virginia

This platform has numerous resources to offer so I definitely recommend taking advantage of it all. 

These contracts have been vetted over by numerous attorneys and have protections in them to make sure you can purchase the property above board and be complicit with the law. 

He and those that adopted it were very fortunate to say the least, but there are numerous others in the past that have not been.  

We have no maintenance to worry about where we live and generally live much more comfortably than if we lived in a building that we were responsible for.Also there are numerous tax deductions available for rental property that ARE NOT available for owner occupied units.Don’t wait to buy real estate.

I have originated numerous BRRRR loans over the years and work with people across the country that attempt to do them, both successfully and unsuccessfully, and most are misguided on how to do it right, IMO.

Besides the improved cash flow from one asset, another of the benefits you'll find is that managing one property in one location is a lot easier than managing numerous SFH properties in various geographic locations. 

I hear of more absentee owners complaining of the numerous calls and letters.

However, you need to establish a reserve fund for the property so that when fundamental elements start needing routine maintenance, starting with exterior paint, roof inspections, sewer line jetting and eventually inspections, and progressing based on the age and remaining life of the various elements.

Now, you simply have to work on the other elements to progress your REI pursuit.Ok, now that you have taken your initial step, below are some quick links to get engaged. http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere http://www.biggerpockets.com/ubg http://www.biggerpockets.com/meet Setting up Keyword Alerts How to Use @Mentions on BiggerPockets 25 Tips for Real Estate Success However, this site thrives on interactions and as such we encourage two way exchanges and look forward to educational and thought provoking ideas relevant to REI.