I can tell you from being on these board a while (1) those typical BP ratios do not work in high value areas such as LA, NYC, Wash DC, etc. and (2) people invest in those areas anyway, not for cash flow as much as the anticipation of appreciation.  

I have a full time job in the car business and I am planning to do a direct mail campain but I want to not mail out too much based on the fact that I wont be able to answer some phone calls.

I carried a box of forms in the trunk of my car, carry addendums to the basic contracts so you can devise specific terms as needed.

This house was built in '94, 2300 sq ft, with a two car garage on half of an acre.

So yeah it may cost the average borrower about you 1.125 pts "more," upfront but that was marginal since there were so many ways to "absorb," this cost for the average buyer.Back in those days I'd just help the buyers agent negotiate this 3.375 pts from the seller since it was a buyers market and sellers were desperate so most of the time the buyer came in with 3% down and did not have any monthly mortgage insurance because the single premium MI cost was delegated to the seller and was a "wash," after the seller credit.

In Excel, the function is "PMT", and it would basically look like:=-pmt(rate, term, PV)rate is the interest rate in percent per monthterm is the term in monthsPV (present value) is the starting value of the loan.On a financial calculator, there will be some button that does it, and you'll enter the three numbers.If worse comes to worse, you can buy a payment table book.Or, use a "money factor" and do it like car salesman.

I did that last summer for the one car I had with a note.

Get out of your car and stroll around and ask the neighbors.

GM, taking your tax money & then turning around and selling cars to the govt for more of your tax money.

The rent in the area for a 3 bed 1.5 baths and two car garage is about $800-$1000 a mth.Half bath------------------$500Full bath-- ---------------$700Kitchen w/applicances--$3500Hardwood resufacing---$400Exterior--------------------$200A/C-------------------------$2500These are ruff estimates..