No, not once in 20 years has a seller balked at me using the most widely used and understood residential contract in Texas.

(A foundation drainage swale, also known as a vegetated swale or grass swale, is just a fancy term for a wide shallow ditch which carries away run-off water from rain, sprinklers, and so on) and maybe you can mask it with a small retainer wall.

In a year I’ll do it again and rent out this current primary residence, and while the cash flow won’t be incredible due to the increased mortgage payment, I’ll have 2 houses with tenants building equity for me (while still generating cash flow) when I’d otherwise just have 1.

The cosmetic updates will add incredible value to the building and future tenants foot traffic.

It was truly an incredible deal.

@Robert Collins I agree with @Evan Parker, a 50 mile radius is way too wide.

Looking back now, there was a truly incredible emphasis on "not screwing up your future," an immense fear of risk that carries over from high-school mind control, pushed into your brain by the people who work there, all of whom spent years getting along to worm their way into a unionized low-to-middle-income teaching job, in large part, by jumping through hoops and never doing anything that might lead to their getting fired out of a government union job, or, to put it as teachers do, "jeopardize their position."

Decent houses that appeal to a wide audience in good areas where there are quality tenants.

Also incredibly nice and honest.

@Michele Wax this sounds like an incredibly creative strategy that could certainly work well for buying properties at a relatively fast pace.