but, but....what if the loch ness monster jumps out of the sink and splashes water on the outlets....imagine what would happen if they are not GFCI?

However you can get a degree in teaching or accounting and then get a job as a teacher or an accountant and that works fine.What you need to do at this point is like others suggested, check your credit, if there is stuff to clean up do it now, if there is nothing you can establish a few credit cards that will be a year old by the time you are ready to buy.The next thing you need to do is save some money, If you are going to buy 100k house then $5000 just use the 5% saving so that when the time rolls around you are ready with credit, funds and a job.I would caution you against coborrowering with your parents- Its wonderful to have great parents but the reality is alot of times parents cosign for kids and things happen down the road and the parents credit gets ruined so if possible you want to stay away from that and its great to say I did it on my own.

After a lot of advice from bigger pockets (thanks JScott) I put together a spreadsheet of all my finish materials and item numbers/prices for each (cabinets, sinks, countertops, doors, faucets, etc.) all the way down to outlets, light switches and smoke detectors.

Andy, for a garage conversion to be legal here in CA, the builder would need to construct a carport, you need to check if your area has the same rule or simply just pull the previous permits from the city for your subject property.As to the $5k I estimated, I can do a full gut bathroom job with new toilet, new tub, new sink and vanity, new plumbing fixture, new light fixture, new travertine installed on walls of shower, new bath glass door enclosure, and new bath plumbing fixtures all for $3k.

Most Realtors are completely ignorant to the realities of Real Estate investing.

This is our reality.

In reality, I believe that people who have life to live will not waste their time to drive around and pose as prospective renters.

:D ^^^ stole my joke In reality, I don't care what they valuated it at simply because I'll never buy their stock, ever.......I would be interested in learning how if what improvements they will make to their site.

Just go down to Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. and look/ask for an epoxy tub and sink refinishing kit.

I have controlled the water bill at my properties by the following:(1) low flow toilets(2) low flow shower heads(3) low flow thingies (sorry, I don't know the formal name) on the kitchen and bathroom sinks(4) coin operated FRONT LOAD washers (14 gallons average per 20 lb load vs. 42 gallons average per 10 lb load for a top loader)(5) "desert" landscapingI have not heard of those flappers being eaten away by the tablets, so I can't help there.