Some totally embrace debt as a tool and others despise it.  

I'd take some tilex to it and worry more about the water penetration, not the mold.

I have embraced the idea of self-directing my retirement funds, but since my Roth IRA does not have nearly enough to purchase and rehab a rental property in my target area and price point, it has given me pause.  

I am not convinced you can achieve your goals if you can not embrace the change in mind set required.

If you're not ready to embrace that I don't think your quite ready to get involved.

While there are a few preliminary inspections for underground work, sewers, etc, the pre board inspection is the 'big one' in terms of the amount of work to be reviewed all at once.Here is a list of what is inspected at the pre board phase: Electrical - all wiring in the house is exposed and can be examined easily by the inspectorPlumbing - drainage, venting, water lines and other elements are looked atGas - a pressure test is shown to the inspector to show the connections are not leakingFireplace - the install and mainly the venting of the fireplace is inspectedMechanical - the furnace, ductwork and return air installation is reviewedBuilding - the structure, engineered work, soil bearing report and sulphate test, radon gas penetrations, fire barrier and many other minor items can be reviewed hereThis multitude of inspections can be helpful to identify any of the countless mistakes or omissions the builder can encounter during the construction process.

This will really help seal the interior from wind and moisture penetration, as we can't afford to get any moisture in our insulated stud spaces any longerPlumbing - there is a small amount of plumbing to do that can be finished up prior to any drywall covering our pipesElectrical - we have a small electrical failure to remedy before we cover it upSpray foam - this is booked for Monday morning and is essential to be done before we can do soffit or drywall in many areas Drywall boarding - this may be done on one side in the next few days, likely beginning on the second sideGas meter install - this is quickly becoming a priority, fortunately I have got it booked (just don't know where we are in the priority lineup - hopefully near the top.

The only state higher is Kentucky:http://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/...Illinois goes bankrupt as Michigan embraces pension reform:http://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/michi...Article from July 25th titled 'why Illinois is in trouble' in Forbes:https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2017...Illinois has 5 of the 100 most dangerous cities, including number 1:https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/blog/top100dange...

Hi Kayla,I have to agree with Chris here. but one thing that is very important to address is price change. once investors are coming to the market like we see in Ohio, there is a surge in the house pricing. take a look on this data and see at the changes of prices during the last two years in Ohio. the main reason for my opinion is the penetration of big institutional firms that buys everything they can put their hand on.best of luck.

Totally worth it though once you penetrate the bureaucracy.