Develop a clear plan, set milestones, and remember that building wealth through real estate is a marathon, not a sprint.Good luck!

Hey @Michael Dallas, it sounds like you've put a solid offer on the table—10% interest-only on $95k is competitive, especially with a clear 2-year exit plan.

And then I applied some leverage knowing that if they did not want to move forward that I would find another interested Buyer who was clearly ok without having the Certificate and knowing it was always used as a 2 family. 

To be safe, it’s usually a good idea to wait a bit—most people suggest 6–12 months.Also, keep in mind that lenders will base the amount you can pull out on the appraised value and their loan-to-value limits, so you might not be able to take out the full difference between $2M and $2.5M.Hope that clears things up!

Make it clear that you’re prepared to go to court, potentially jeopardize his license, or report him to consumer protection services—or at least make it clear you’re considering these steps.

The heavy cleaning and repair costs after longer stays are definitely pain points but I've seen my clients make it work by screening the tenants more carefully for MTRs, doing bi-monthly checks to catch issues early, and writing clear lease terms about maintaining the property.

Our attorney is very clear about what we can and can not communicate related to criminal background and that is why self-managing can be a mine field when it comes to application qualification criteria.  

We (mods) will have a trainload of spammers, and all of us are doing double-time clearing things off, and all of a sudden it will get real quiet and we can go back to doing things that are usually more fun like posting and reading threads, which doesn't mean we become complacent but does mean maybe we're not as vigilant as usual. 

Any quick search on this issue will clearly say that the animal cannot cause a disturbance to others.

Being clear about what’s covered in the lease and by local laws can avoid misunderstandings and set their realistic expectations.If you do plan to carry out the cosmetic upgrades (because the property is overdue and of course you want to ensure your tenants are enjoying their home to the best of your abilities), try to schedule the repairs at times that minimize disruption.