That's by-far the best piece of advice -- build a box.I'm certainly no expert, but here are some other things that I've learned about reducing new construction costs:- To reiterate from above, build a box -- reduces framing, siding and roof complexity/cost

Safe, no crime to speak of, kids playing and people taking walks when I drove by.I asked selling agent for rent roll and utility bills.  

I was looking at crime data for the past few months and I was shocked to see that white settlement had a lower crime rate than Hurst, Euless, or Bedford (mid cities areas that I consider to be better than white settlement).  

We went through this January during an extended rehab.The Sulfate-reducing bacteria can survive in both your HW system & water softener due to lack of use.

I can look at this two ways - - 1) Having a dishwasher may open my tenant field and reduce vacancy time. 2) People that knowingly rent a property without a dishwasher are willing to do dishes, and therefore likely willing to do regular household maintenance?

I would even consider stopping payments to your 401K or at least reducing them to the amount that is matched (if any) until the debt is paid off.

Yes, it is possible, to a degree but to do so you need to take into other considerations as to the local market, property condition, credit issues, qualifications of the borrower and ability to reduce the UPB, the term involved and issues of predatory dealing which is an issue in commercial lending as well as residential.Big misconception of money types and dealers is that if my deal is a "commercial" transaction, I'm free to do whatever as commercial is viewed as being between sophisticated parties.

I today's market investor buyers are a large segment of the marketplace in many areas.By excluding investors as buyers, the HOAs are actually reducing the number of buyers in the pool, and reducing the selling prices.

Turns out that the 'landlord' was a scam artist, who scoped out empty houses, changed the locks, took on the name of the owner, and rented the property.http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Impostor-rented-out-someone-else-s-home-4981397.phpWhat if you were the owner of that vacant house and found people living in it, who signed a lease in good faith and spent all their money on deposit and first month's rent?

Good people also want to live in small towns I've found where there's low crime, live next door to other "good" people.