I spent 6 weeks renovating the house and it cleaned up real nicely: new roof, new flooring, cleaned carpets, complete remodel of bathroom-saved the old tub, freshened up the kitchen, paint, etc...

If you were working for 9 bucks an hour before and surviving that income is more easier to replace for reserves than making 80k or 100k yearly etc. and making the change.You have to write down all lifestyle expenses and know what the monthly nut is to break even and be comfortable but not rich or having to take on debt when you start out.

There were minor cleaning and repair items but not much for a single parent dad.

It is easier to get information from your public servants when you are in town.

I still like using agents on the buy side but when selling I've found it is often easier to find an actual buyer than it is to find a really great agent.

Setting aside the security/liability issues, you can now put on Smartkey, which makes re-keying even easier.

(I guess I can ask the same question for all the renters out there)For other investors in the Pittsburgh area, is it easier to rent out a 2 or 3BR townhouse?

I mentioned before, conventional loan ratios use to be 24/36% so it's gone up, way up, making it a lot easier for many to qualify from what the old standard was. :)

There are so many properties for sale by owner that it would be so much easier to have a search criteria.

Waiting until the property turns into a REO may cost a little more, but you will get a clean title, a warranty deed and have the option of buying title insurance.One auction option that can be very profitable is tax sales.