(I use tools to do this.)And, you can take the pulse of a market every 6 months to gauge where it might be going by following job growth, migration trends, major employer actions, affordability, etc.I don't buy purely on appreciation potential. 

I do not do this, but do not know of a major reason as long as you can electronically transfer the money into another account after they do it. 

Nothing major, just cosmetic stuff.  

@Mark Ainley It's in Logan Square - Fullerton and Kedzie is the nearest major intersection.

If the condo becomes non-warrantable which could happen from a major assessment, mismanagement of the HOA, too many people not paying their HOA, litigation, etc, the value can nose-dive as new buyers can't get low-down financing for the units. 

USE A BUYER"S AGENTWith FNMA, on the vast majority of their listings the buyer's agent can bypass the listing agent and submit offer through Homepath.com. 

In some of the areas that I invest in, they have a major impact on the price of much of the areas real estate.  

However, if you have a good GC you can trust, it will alleviate the majority of the stress and time requirements.In summary - you can do it like I did, but it will be frustrating (although worth it imo).

Last point, in my market and many other major markets we work in, if you are asking for an inspection period on your contract, you're DEAD because the competition here (specifically HVA) is warning sellers that that's the way guys (with no real money) bail out of contracts. 

No major complications occurred.