If you go with a custom tile pan and walls, you will need to make sure your floors can support the weight.  

I'm fine with doing a loan and closing on the 29th as the contract states, but if the seller want's to move the process forward faster to minimize damage and potential problems from the house being vacant, I can pay cash and close on the house this Friday in exchange for a $2,000 price reduction.

The problem is, the total asking price, even after the reduction, places the normal 20-25% down out of our range. 

Properties are in Central Florida.We recently went under contract for a pair of duplexes off the MLS, and were able to negotiate a decent reduction off asking (about 12 k per property) of these two side by side duplexes, 2 individual lots/contracts but from the same owner (a group of 3 siblings who inherited these investment properties 3 years ago). 

I like Dave Ramsey for Debt payoffs and debt reduction for personal expenses.  

A savvy bookkeeper and CPA are worth their weight in gold.

Cardio 3x per week, Heavy weights 2x per week2) Manage diet and stick to it.3) supplementation (daily vitamin, turmeric, D-aspartic, etc)4) Schedule tasks that give a good sense of accomplishment5) Take time to be grateful for opportunities and lessons learned

Now, if you've got tenants in there, they're not going to be too happy about it either and will almost certainly call the building inspector if they don't see someone on top of that problem ASAP, so its not the time to start shopping around for a smart fix that will save big money, you may end up simply having to pay for a new furnace or pay the highway robbery type price that the one HVAC guy in town who's even got time to show up charges to fix it.Times like that are when, if operating on a tight budget, I'd say that extra flexibility of the 30 year note is worth its weight in gold, or else your properties will begin popping up at the sheriff's auction as many already have!

If you lift weights with repetition, the muscle gets stronger.

After you have completed several deals, you can look at a S-Corps which may help you reduce your taxes, by breaking your income down into categories other than earned income.Using the more traditional approach to tax reduction, you might contribute to an IRA or another type of retirement account depending upon your adjusted gross income for the tax year.Still, great job on getting your first flip.