OZ is worth a look if you need liquidity, but eventually you will have to pay some tax utilizing that option.  

Is getting a $500 above ground pool worth it? 

The time saved on seeing that bigger picture is worth it to me.

You have to decide if it's worth putting your house at risk to save $200 to $400 per month.

In your mind, is losing $9,500 worth saving $195 per month? 

Someone planning on stealing anything of worth is going to do it while you are gone.

The city wants to tear the property and surrounding properties down Zillow said it’s worth 38000The city offer me 13000.I could use some adviceHard to give advice with limited information, but as a general rule, the longer you wait and the further down the line their project is the more valuable your property will be to them.Zillow (and all automatic online) estimates are very unreliable, so don't base on that.

My professional background is data science / analytics, which means analyzing cash flows will probably come more naturally than building relationships, which apparently, is how one finds deals worth making.Are there meetups in these areas I should attend (digitally at first, presumably)? 

The lower barrier to entry would be excellent for my personally smaller net worth.

Every situation is different... but if those POHs are busted up the park is worth only a fraction of what he is asking.