I can't count how many times I thought this deal was about to fall apart, but I persisted through and am now the proud owner of my first duplex!

He must be counting on someone buying it for the land value.

This area draws a lot of foreigners too and the large bedroom count can accommodate multiple families traveling together for vacation.A friend of mine who is an agent in the area has a few clients buying in Davenport for the short-term rental options.  

You may get lucky with a lender that allows 20%, but don't count on it.Your refi loan assumptions are unreasonable.

My other concern is that if I add a separate secondary dwelling, the property won’t appraise for any more than it’s at currently because my lender only counts 1 house, 1 garage building, and up to 10 acres in the valuation, even though everyone knows that 2 houses are going to be worth more than 1.

I took the time to break down all the categories from Jay Scott's book on Rehab Costs, and created a check mark spreadsheet that calculates category totals based off his suggested costs for each item and using any required inputs like sqft, item counts/costs, labor, etc.I then review the pics/video my agent sends me and go through my spreadsheet, checking off what I think needs to be done.

Now is where we count our blessings.

I have not counted on that and perhaps I should.

We are keeping our door count lower so we can give the best customer service. 

hard to count CA out ..