Who has some real tricks of the trade?

If not you will rely on a property manager and there network of service people.Some electricians want to charge a 100 fee for installing a wall socket plug with a service call.You can do it yourself for about 50 cents in parts if you have the knowledge.So repairs and what they cost will depend on how you intend to manage and repair the property (yourself,hiring a handyman,or hiring a skilled trade for that job,or have an onsite maintenance repair man).Since your property is small hopefully there will not be too many repairs issues.Don't fool yourself that since it is newer the property doesn't have problems.I watch Mike Holmes and he goes in property after property with many being just a few year sold and finds tons of problems sometimes costing tens of thousands of dollars or more in repairs to get it fixed right.Many builders will cut corners or hire subs for certain jobs and be unaware of the problems and things that were not done correctly.

Others (like myself) combine investment with hobby and strive for 15+% returns... still others turn this into a second (or first) job and are looking for 20+% returns.There is a definite trade off... but who are we to place value on other people's time?

All stocks are local.What kind of return would you expect from a stock that is trading at 27 times its past year's earnings and grows its earnings by 5% a year over the next 5 years?

Lot's of info is traded and given such as contractors and tradesmen.

However, I am a real estate broker by trade and I am very invested in seeing the neighborhood grow and develop.

Essentially it's saving you 5% interest when it could be earning you 15+% cash, a poor trade off.With cash, you need to either buy undervalued homes or increase equity in a way that more than compensates your investment.

Everything from here on is regulated to a sub-trade who will come in for a few days (Sometimes simultaneously) and do their thing.

You can hire subs who will pull each permit for their trade.

They're a trade group.