You must assume the worst and carry some reserve cash, because unexpected expenses are inevitable and they will kill you!

You might even require the tenants to insure with your carrier/agent, or carry double what the insurance carrier requires.

Lease option will help you get a higher price but you have to be able to carry the mortgage which keeps you "in the woods."

Work a deal with a local investor where you will carry back a significant note on the 10 properties.

And since valuation is not the expertise of an engineer, it carries little weight.

I look like your typical dirt bag construction worker, drive an older 4x4, carry a 2x4 in my gun rack and a 380 concealed on my side.

They are so carried away with the regs on this thing, that I'm not really sure most people on the govt side even know what to do.

Yes, I'm carrying the financing myself.

A nominal $5k or so in extra carry costs (hard money versus bank money) is well worth the quick close and not losing the deal because some bank bureaucrat drops the ball at the last minute.

Or you could try coming off the price a bit in trade for hard earnest money if you are worried about carrying costs or deflating your equity returns by taking a financing contingency.