Matt Mason can be more specific on what you mean by this statement: "When you ask most Anericans would they rather have the gas tax indexed to inflation or increase the depreciation life real estate investors can take, I don't have much doubt which one they would choose."

Looking at the Fannie Mae website, I found the following requirements:Cash-out refinance transactions must meet the following requirements: The transaction must be used to pay off existing mortgages by obtaining a new first mortgage secured by the same property or be a new mortgage on a property that does not have a mortgage lien against it.Properties listed for sale in the six months preceding the disbursement date of the new mortgage loan are limited to 70% LTV, CLTV, and HCLTV ratios (or less if mandated by the specific product, occupancy, or property type – for example, 65% for manufactured homes).Note: Properties that were listed for sale must have been taken off the market on or before the disbursement date of the new mortgage loan.The property must have been purchased (or acquired) by the borrower at least six months prior to the disbursement date of the new mortgage loan except for the following: There is no waiting period if the lender documents that the borrower acquired the property through an inheritance or was legally awarded the property (divorce, separation, or dissolution of a domestic partnership).

So more than looking for any specific service I'm wondering what self-managers are doing to automate services related to their properties.

@Brent CoombsI do believe i could get all my cash back, I have heard this method preached by many people on BP over and over again and I'm convinced it will work...but you must understand that this is our first one so there is always the air of uncertainty since we haven't gone through the process. 

(About an hour north of NYC in the Hudson Valley).In this post, I quickly and efficiently point out some general rules of thumb and some very specific tips on how to achieve a Luxury Kitchen on a smaller budget.

I am assuming this is also more of a local, or landlord specific topic.

The way they work is very state specific so I can't tell you much about how they work in Maryland.

One thing to consider is that I don't believe it is technically legal to VRBO/AirBNB. http://kutv.com/news/get-gephardt/air-bnb-rentals-...I did have a friend who used his house as a winter ski rental and seemed to have good success with it.

., but I'm honestly not sure what those figures and calculations should be, for buy and hold investors who are looking to invest in the Chicago suburbs, specifically DuPage and Kane counties, but I'd love to know!

Then you want to get into specifics about the condition of the home.. condition of the: roof, exterior, hvac, water heater, plumbing, floors, walls, etc.