Our first plan was to use and FHA 203k loan but being that my wife was a house wife and we were living on one income pretty much the last 3 years my credit took a BIG hit.

She said she'd email me the information about the electric company and connecting WiFi that day (the 7th).I reached out to her multiple times after she never submitted the email.

I won't allow personal checks because it can take up to 10 days before I find out the check bounced.When I hit a tenant with a 3-day Pay or Quit, I serve it through the Sheriff and it costs $50.

We took a hard hit from an issue with the city regarding an after-the-fact permit and everything going wrong on each property this year so we've only got about $8k in cash.

Look at you with your gold mine joke....you're going to fit in perfectly around here ;)Sounds like you've hit the ground running with your real estate hustle.

You have hit the JACKPOT of resources for real estate investors.

Home improvements are definitely non essential unless it is something critical like plumbing, electrical, etc.

I figure you could charge the tenants a base rate for electricity every month and that goes to paying them off.

My team and I are looking to get our second property under contract and it's a mixed use building- Store front w/ residential apartment up top, and two single family homes attached- very strange...Here's what I know before visiting the property:- It's downtown in a very mall city with a historic board- Separate meters for electric- One bill for sewer and well (I'm assuming it's county sewer but will investigate further to ensure not a septic)- I'm going to ask for the leases and ask the renters what they're paying for rent.As a mixed use building I'm assuming I'd need to dig into the store fronts financials to ensure they're capable to afford the property.

I know a local investor who only buys duplexes and he has great luck, but it can be very hit or miss with the tenants.