Worse would be to sink money into a property and then find out that someone has a senior claim so they get your improvements for free.Do better deals so there is margin to pay for a property escrow.

Better to pay a specific fee to get it done right then to have a nightmare and the associated costs from a broken/clouded chain of title.John CoreyDefinitely get an attorney, preferably the one who executed the closing, to perform this task.

He clearly has a list of solid investor buyers who perform and know how to check a property with minimal intrusion.John Corey

As you need time for the credit score to improve get time on your side.John Corey

You just need to out perform the other agents.John Corey

Susan,The FHA loan in question is called the 203k loan---will set that aside because of your stated reservations (other then lead paint removal, all improvements that would be required by HUD would be for energy efficiency).

Will you lose money on improvements you made that are too much for a rental property?

I have seen people who wholesale close and then sell after cosmetic improvements.

Using a lawyer is one way to help improve the odds as you now have the lawyer liability insurance on the line.Pick up William Bronchick's Wealth Protection book ~$14.00 on Amazon).

I've heard that if you work for a licensed RE Broker then you do not have to be personally licensed to perform all of the duties.......correct????