I can't speak to the entire country, but you're in VA, and I've seen quite a bit of rent-to-own in VA Beach, so this may help: For the demographic you’re thinking about — younger buyers with decent income but affordability challenges — I've seen them participate in programs like shared equity or down-payment assistance more so than rent-to-own for a few reasons: Traditional rent-to-own operates in a different corner of the market than the one you’re focused on.In many areas, like VA Beach, rent-to-own tends to show up with older, more distressed homes that wouldn’t function well as traditional rentals.

This has our "average days on market", what the largest "price point" in sales is, and has our median home price as well.  

You would need to split off the land where you live or prorated all the expenses based on this being your home too. 

A small HELOC for strategic use is fine, but I wouldn’t start your investing career by tying your home to multiple leveraged decisions.If everything went sideways, you want your roof safe.2.

Live there a year or two and hustle more homes in the neighborhood, so you can do it again in a year or two. 

Home is fully occupied at the moment. 

I’m helping someone who reached out online about a tough situation with their home.

This is what my email told the first family: “If we have not received the items above by December 11 at 7pm, we reserve the right to offer this home to another applicant.”What can I do?

If you're not doing any major work to the home, you can use DIY Cost Seg and save some money/time.

Both are hoping the grass will be greener but would definitely have a better chance of success with much less effort and risk just investing close to home.