I am working full time in the chemical industry with main focus on customer service and IT.

I have a full time job in the construction industry selling materials however I am a complete novice to investing.

My long winded answer can be summarized by the following; I hope my detailed insight gives you better knowledge into the industry that could help on this and future deals.

Before closing, clear up the title and you'll find that the lien has likely been satisfied.Most frequently, bail has been satisfied and, as a matter of industry practice, bondsmen do not go out of their way to release or reconvey the security instrument.

Being part of the remodeling industry, I tend to feel that if a contractor offers free estimates, perhaps they are going through a promotion or simply put, they are lacking jobs.

It sounds like you're in this for the long haul, so you really must account for an average number, not the best case.

Is that on a higher end home, average, low end, etc..?

Ask for average rents in the area, how long it typically takes to rent units, quality of renters, etc.

Tell him you're sorry for requesting more, but that you need to average the income over the past two years, not take it from one year.

On to 2b:Cash Invested: 28000 (20K down, plus closing, cosmetic fixup, and holding costs)Gross Annual Income: 14400Expenses: 7200Debt Service: 4723Cash Flow: 2477An income of $2477 on $28000 invested gives you a pre-tax return of 8.85%.The fact that in 2b you leave the mortgage in place introduces another factor – mortgage paydown, which affects both your taxes and long term return.On an 80K loan with 4.25% interest, the principle is reduced by an average of $112 per month during the first year, or $1349 total for the year.