Purchase price: $243,000 Cash invested: $65,000 Sale price: $500,000 The property 4/2 with a sunroom 1546 sq ft 8800 lot was very neglected for about a year before I came into the picture and everything had to be gutted from landscaping to paint flooring and everything in between.

I'm allergic to earned income anyway😎An example on one I'm buying tomorrow is seller pays remaining property taxes for the year, recording costs ($400- our state is insane), my title and escrow costs and a landscape allowance of $2800. 

Added recessed lighting, ceiling fans, additional storage, landscaping What was the outcome?

Drive by these properties and see if there are any repairs that you can do, or landscaping, etc and then try to find the owner and ask them if they will give you advice and mentorship in exchange for these services.

Maintenance on the property has been kept pretty well, but we need to replace: -minor landscaping-Concrete in rear parking area, in front of garage (~$5K)-one plumbing drip; planning to defer replacing galvanized plumbing with pex in years to come, probably 2 years-roof is not new, but is not leaking, estimating 5 years of life left, so will replace at that time, or hopefully later;-electrical at some point.

At the time I worked for my Dad at a landscaping supply store selling rocks, mulch, and dirt.

I would replace the doors, windows, and a bit of landscaping would give the property a completely different vibe.

.- Look in the crawl space and attic if you can (always have a pocket flashlight on you)- Roof-Chimney- Gutters/Soffits/Downs- Paint/Siding- Electric Service Drop (older homes with above ground wires)- Electrical Breaker Box- Exterior Doors/Jams- Porch/Deck- Termite Danger (ground is near wood)- Land Grading (for water runoff)- Cement/Asphalt-Retaining Walls-Garage (Door and function)- Landscaping-Trash Cleanup- Windows-Interior Doors-Strip Wallpaper-Drywall-Patch & Paint- Flooring (carpet, vinyl, hardwood, tile)- Ceiling Repairs-Water Damage-Trash Removal- Kitchen- Kitchen Appliances- Baths- Water Heater- Water Service Line- Water Plumbing-Waste Plumbing-Check water pressure -Electrical- Joists- FoundationTips - Check the property at different times of the dayThe street may be peaceful and quiet in the morning but in the evening, it may overflow with traffic.

The slightly older homes often come with established landscaping and the farther back in time you go, the more the whole neighborhood is likely to have a substantial treescape.   

Which leads me to ask you for your advise, here are my thoughts and plans for this property: bought this property, front yard and back yard were pretty much a blank space - which we loved because we can totally customize it to our personality and liking - in fact, we just finished our front yard landscape earlier this month (pictures are below), want to work on the backyard next, in due time of course.So in hopes of forced appreciation and equity, I'll refi the property in the next few months and use the equity to re-invest in another property?