Of course when you look downtown the home prices get much higher, however, there is a historically redlined area, that is still very close to downtown, and just because it's on the west side of the freeway and houses are less taken care of, you see homes for less.Developers are quickly snatching up properties because of this reason and because recent zoning laws have done away with single family zoning, so I'm feeling a sense of urgency to get into a home in this very specific neighborhood.I'm not a super personable guy and feel strange knocking on doors, so I started digging into delinquent taxes.

If you're buying as a primary residence, you don't have to bring as much down, so you can get into real estate much easier.

Be careful with the free data sites, they really rely on algorithm which can pull some funny numbers. 

Investment Info:Single-family residence buy & hold investment.

If expensive properties aren't yielding positive cash flow, which is common in hot markets like Fairfax, and if you've found cash-flowing properties in less desirable areas, it's crucial to navigate carefully due to potential risks.

The original offer was 300k but then we asked for 25k off since there are other multiple things needs to be address like old furnace and stuff like that, but we asked that they take care of the hazardous flags.  

Given this was your home (ie, principal residence), and as long as you've lived in your home for 2 of the last 5 years, your sale is likely eligible for the Section 121 exclusion, meaning $250k in gain excluded from taxable income (or up to $500k in gain if married and filing jointly).

Hi Leroy,Is this a primary residence?

I usually look carefully at the most expensive things:1) Foundation/Slab - small cracking and movement are no big deal, but a large crack, settling, displacement can cost a fortune to fix.2) Plumbing - esp cast iron sewer and galvanized ( or old copper) supply lines.3) Electrical - Knob/Tube, old original romex, no grounds, small main panel.4) Structure - Check the attic (and crawlspace if there is one).

Investment Info:Single-family residence fix & flip investment.