There are a lot of factors going into this type of bidding BUT when you buy from a servicer like I mentioned above you don’t always have to bid on large tapes and you can buy individual quality loans in your local geographic area.With all of that in mind I personally DO think it’s possible to start out buying non-performing notes.

The main factors in deciding to use them are cost and the condition of existing stairs.At about $100/stair installed, the initial cost is about eight times that of carpet.

I guess I'm having trouble communicating the notion of generating "creative" ideas of how to leverage the asset without interrupting the cash flow much and ideally increasing the overall return on the equity.So I'll put out one idea I had in order to, hopefully, spur some brainstorming in the direction I was hoping this thread would go:Say my stepfather wants to hold the property for 10 more years.

Thats not coming close to covering their holding costs when you factor in the maintenance costs and risk of things being stolen.Deed restrictions would be an easy fix for HUD though if this is really something they want to avoid.

The one factor that cannot be calculated would be the effect of renting it on my own without having the ability to do thorough background checks, and the possible results of getting a nightmare from hell tenant!

If you can't get it sold for cash you can turn it back to the seller (not ideal) or you can try to line up private funds to take it down and finance it.

Before purchasing an income property, pay careful attention to the financial statements and remember to factor in a property manager which will charge between 8 - 10%.If you are close to retirement, I may consider investing in a duplex where you can move to when you are ready.

I assume the $20K repair number is not factoring in you/wifes time.

Time is an important factor as I work anywhere from 45-60 hours a week.I have heard/read somewhere that ideally someone investing in property would want to see returns no more than 2 years later.

You probably want to factor in renovation or at least minor repair costs and 10% selling costs above your profit.