I want to buy an apartment, fix it up and rent it out. Where do I find one for around $20,000?
Claudio,
Everybody is looking for the same deal! Here are some suggestions.
1-4 unit apartments can be found at http://moveinmichigan.com this is not my website, but is the public one for Wayne County and most of southeastern Michigan. For other apartment buildings, you will have to look on a commercial website. Foreclosures on this site will be indicated by "corporate owned", "bank owned", "third party approval", or sometimes "as is".
Before even looking, and this is very important, you will need to know something about building to perform repairs. If you have to hire out all repairs, this might eat away too much of your profits.
You need to determine, how much you will need to rent out the apartments for and if the property you choose can support those payments. It makes no sense to me to renovate a building and rent it for a loss.
You will need to know the laws for the city you purchase. Most cities require the building pass an inspection prior to occupancy. This could potentially stop you from renting any of the apartments. Also, some cities have yearly inspections that must be passed.
I suggest by researching the process thoroughly before contacting a real estate professional or property management company.