The 2 biggest things that helped me jump in RE investing were:1- Consume as much information and knowledge as possible.

Selling costs will consume about 50%.  

"for $___/year, we provide "x" additional inspections")6) Liability policy that covers tenant intentional damage, criminal acts, and unpaid rent when skipped or evicted (through insurance provider that provides this kind of coverage)7) Financial reports per quarter (as whatever period makes sense to you) (this can allow you to advise the owner on the health of their portfolio)8) End-of-year review of the property to show conditions and suggested needed and preventative maintenance items 9) Preferred vendor discounts (requires a contract with a vendor to give better pricing)10) Eviction protection programs (this is usually done "in house" when you have sufficient number of units under your management to be able to offer this kind of program)11) Legal services (requires agreement with landlord attorney to provide those services at set fees)12) Professional photos option (for enhanced listing)13) Professional, licensed home inspection (this is more relevant for older homes to ensure safety and habitability are addressed) 14) HVAC filter replacement program (this can also be a program offered to tenants)15) Pet and ESA screening through pet screening vendor (helps to streamline and increase quality of screening)16) Client portal account for ease of communication, updates, reports, etc.

Building roads and extending utilities comes after a lot of other expensive and time-consuming work.

How do I get an accurate value based on HOA financial health and interior defects?

It can be expensive, and time consuming.

Using loan proceeds to purchase another primary residence is considered consumer purpose and would not fall within DSCR guidelines.

Just make sure to consume contents here as much as possible and feel free to ask any questions you may have.

So if you have need for a liquid emergency fund for your health, I don’t think you should play with that portion by buying properties. 

Should we bother trying to wrestle with Trendmaker or HVAC company, who has since rebranded, for compensation (all of this did lead to significant health issues which is another story entirely as well) Question #2...