To keep your costs down you may also want to look at how items are being purchased. You may want to look at getting with a company that can use combined purchasing power across the country to lower out of pocket as well as have a tighter control on spending. This can also let you know what is trending with breakdowns which may lead to correcting something which will alleviate a systemic problem.

Another thing I run into is that many properties when they are replacing appliances are not putting and tracking in service dates to take advantage of warranties and such.

I oversee a portfolio of Class C properties in the Bronx and I have a grouping of buildings that throw off a lot of cash. However the 2 supers I have for these buildings don't do vacancies and I pay through the nose for my vacants and my CPU ranges between $9k-11k.

I have recently financed several acquisitions including an older, vintage 70s subsidized property. You can often find good deals but make sure when you are negotiating the price you account for your lender's engineer's inspection. The property capital needs assessment is going to look at everything and buyers need to have the cash to set up reserves. Windows are the latest hot button and if you are buying a 30 year old property that hasn't seen much attention the windows are probably past their prime and may need to be replaced.

Peter, yes there are buyers. Just read a WSJ article articulating the fact that BIG money is moving with acquisitions. Don't know the details as to property types. Last week, I spoke to a former fund manager who is bullish on "high barrier to entry" markets and bearish on sunbelt areas like TX, AZ, etc. So this team was not following the masses- of course they are content with a lower return rate in exchange for stability or "core" market.
Some of the C properties I am reviewing are offered at $14k/door- trouble is, they are probably worth $9K/door. When the lenders realize that there are easier properties to turn and operate then they will take the next offer and move on. My $0.02

I have a question. Are there any buyers out there purchasing C and B properties? And if so, how many units and what are you getting a door?

Thank you all for the comments and feedback. I am analyzing broker packages and we all know how rosey brokers make their listing appear. Thanks for sharing real world insight! Continued Success, Pete