A 4 plex in MD at $180k...its certainly not in the DC area, and probably not even the Baltimore area at that price.

For a duplex, I would prefer to stick with 3 bed/2 bath/2 car garage, but quadplex, I would probably have to settle for a 2/1 or 2/2 set up with no garage. 

State Florida3) Also, his policies keeps changing insurance companies probably once a year.

What new apartments are permitted around it...or 1/2 way thru construction, but not on the market.How do you become an expert or master it.....probably like any other skill...practice. 

Now I am inheriting a huge fixer-upper in Dallas which we will probably live in for a few years after it is repaired.My ideal situation with REI is to buy and hold multiple properties while also flipping a few per year to supplement our income.

We will probably pivot one or both to be long term rentals.

  - Rents in my area for a 3/2 SFR are 1,800 - 2k per month (probably closer to 2k for a brand new house); so the land + house cost is going to have to be below 200/220k all in to make the math work at current interest rates. 

.- at year 7 if value appreciated a lot, can i do a HELOC on it and use that HELOC to pay off the balloon - probably not due to lien being secondary etc on helocYes on the HELOC, but it would probably be easier just to refi and pay off the seller, and cash out more money too.Hope that helps and good luck!

Having owned property in rockford its not a great appreciation area so getting a HELOC will probably take 5-10 years based on loan pay down and maybe some slight appreciation.

Quote from @Chris Seveney: Quote from @Chris Seveney:Yes if too good to be true it probably is.