When you factor the cost over 25 years, you're not saving a ton of money DIY'ing the roof. 

Go to home depot (or favorite big box store) at 6-7am and look for the guys that are not driving the $70,000 truck but the beat up one and build a relationship with them on one property.

@Brian BurkeWhen you are buying in areas with good school districts - you are competing with families who are looking to acquire a personal residence.Therefore - you are competing with other investors and those who want a family residence.This competition drives up the cost making it less likely to cash-flow.The good thing is that you may experience significant appreciation.Have you considered looking at areas that are not in the best school districts?

Looking at those factors, I felt more comfortable leaving my cash in the stock market- growing it slowly until i found a deal that would cash flow better.I finally decided to look out of state.

The LTV you receive on the refi will be dependent on multiple factors.

For example, I’m new and been driving for dollars writing letters to physically distressed properties.

The lender is who really drives up the price.You also get a credit for property tax at closing.

I always recommend to take the time and money to fly over here and drive around and see the neighborhoods and vibe of the area.

Looking for advice as this is my first purchase.THIS WOULD BE AN OWNER OCCUPIED HOUSE HACK SO IN MY OPINION THE PRICE ISNT A HUGE FACTOR.

I’ve recently come across a good off market distressed property in my area. I want to reach out to the owner to see if they’re interested in selling. My first go to is the assessors website. Owner comes up as “Admin V...