Girlfriend has a chance to own free and clear

[Johnquel Jones]

My girlfriend has a chance, with my financial help, to own her first house free and clear. It is a 2 bed room, 1 bath home which was converted into a 1 bedroom, 1 bath home. The house is a little over 1,000 square feet-quite tiny. In any event, she is currently under a lease with the option to purchase: "Rent-to-Own". She has roughly $5,000 left to pay on the house. There is also a tenant living in the home who is paying for sed lease option. With my help, the house can be paid off by November. Without my help, the house will not be paid off until 10 months later. Furthermore, we have knowledge of a new house that may be coming to market in a few months-it is a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom home. This house is across the street from her parent's house and in a nice neighborhood--two streets from a great high school. My question is: Should we focus on paying off the 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom home? Or, Should we save our money to purchase the 2 bedroom, 2 bath home while continuing to let the tenant make her payments? Assuming the Math works out on the 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, if not then it is a no-brainer.