As long as the set back rules aren't ridiculous and as long as you don't run into any solar access issues, you can easily build a home with appropriately sized garage on 2700 sf.

So to make an accusation that he really only needed 3 hrs for the 20 he charged for is a ridiculous.

If you get a reputation of sending in ridiculous offers you'll be seen as lacking professionalism, knowledge and failing to educate your client.

There are other company's out there that don't charge those ridiculous fees.  

Others wise that seems a bit ridiculous

I had considered buying paid off houses in Florida with the money, about 20 worth, BUT...then I'm just losing equity as the market crashes while cash flowing houses, paying ridiculous taxes all the way.I think what I will do is wait, ride this train, then before it stops, years before, convert to MFH instead.  

A lot of people throw around cash flow numbers that are basically gross rent minus PITI, which is ridiculous.

My industry is stupid and acts like FICO scores are everything, but you don't have to be as stupid as we are compelled tobe.Look at the story the credit report tells you: Are they in the low 600s because of an unexpected medical thing that trashed their ability to fulfill their financial obligations forcing them to sell their home so they could get right with their creditors after several missed/late payments, or because of ridiculous and irresponsible luxury car payment that led to a repossession and them selling their home rather than face foreclosure? 

It's only when you get to 3- or 4-families and up that spreadsheets start to have #s that look palatable (to many investors' eyes).This is mainly because the market for single families and (to a little lesser extent) two families, is mostly filled with owner-occupants, who don't care about investments returns as they're getting to use the property themselves.On the flip side, while the returns are lower, the management hassles are typically less than 3+ family properties and they're easier to sell.I think the current vogue for single families is from investors who realized that the management hassles are often a lot less for SFs, and also because rental demand has made it fairly easy to rent them out.One minor thing I will note though, is that it doesn't seem that HUD/Section 8 rents are really keeping up with rising rents and the crazy thing is that, at least in my experience, they want to do the same HAP (housing assistance payment) for a 3-bedroom apartment as a 3-bedroom house, which is ridiculous.

Thus far the main obstacle I'm running into is the market in this area...it seems very difficult to find any properties that banks are willing to budge on since even at ridiculous prices they don't stay on the market long.