I still use newspapers when I have an open house for a unique property.

When an irregular expense happens (new roof, new furnace, damage in excess of the security deposit, etc), they consider that a unique event (like a tornado or other act of God) and it's off budget.

Theft of fixtures becomes major risk in foreclosureshttp://www.azcentral.com/community/ahwatukee/articles/2009/09/08/20090908junkyhomes0908.htmlThat AZCentral.com article describes some problems with foreclosures in Phoenix, AZ,"Julie Halferty, a special agent who oversees the Phoenix FBI Mortgage Fraud Task Force, said no one knows exactly how many foreclosed houses in the Valley have been stripped by former owners, neighbors or strangers.

You're just one out of many tasks on their desk.

Unless you buy a home in Europe, most home in USA are not unique, they all look the same so keep looking and you will find the perfect home for the perfect house.

I used to copy others but I found your own unique design works best.

This isn't a DIY task the first time.

I’m not sure if the seller will balk at allocating $20K to a $70K property because I haven’t asked him yet.Are there any other creative strategies I can try to minimize the down payments and/or reduce the number of mortgages?

Many people have multiple names, no social security number, some don't know there dates of birth, etc. so the task will take a couple of generations, I think.Credit is fairly easy to get for properties because buyers make a significant equity contribution and most banks are government-owned and the government pretty much forces them to lend.

Dealing with apartment building is no easy task and required some knowledge and experience.