I was trying to make a point for new investors that from year to year the numbers can be dramatically different and you must be prepared for the down years.

Rents and vacancy will vary dramatically based on the neighborhood.I live in Brooklyn myself and appraise real estate there and in Manhattan.

This rehab was relatively easy but we realized that a simple conversion of the downstairs dining room into a master suite would boost the ARV by 15-20K so we followed that route.

Craigslist - houses for sale / for rent /  real estate services Facebook - create a business page, pay for likes and to "boost" postsGoogle - use adwords (pay per click)BP - the market place..  

My day job is in the gas industry that has provided a great boost to the local economy and real estate prices. 

Will residential real estate experience a similarly dramatic turnaround?

Both of these could be temporary issues but there is no guarantee of the outcome.Overall housing prices are up pretty dramatically from the bottom.  

You can be off on just one of the variables in your pro forma and it can dramatically affect your returns.  

An education will go a long way to boost confidence and cut your learning curve a lot.

Unless things have dramatically changed, don't expect unbiased advise or a counselor by your side.