If so do you have any suggestions or tips for best practices to do this?

Taxes is not my area of expertise so I suggest readers consult with their own tax advisor on this subject. 

If you aren't familiar with Baltimore, I would suggest it's a hard no and say that you are trying too hard to make cash flow happen talking Baltimore and tax liens and auctions.

However, inventory levels have decreased, with 1,191 homes for sale in December 2024, a 4.3% decline from the previous month, suggesting a tightening market.

Additionally, I would suggest you run some financial calculations such as cash on cash return as well as any appreciation from the asset if/when you sell.

I would suggest starting with reading the IRC book all the way through multiple times.

any suggestions on how I should compare these 2 options?

They suggested 5-7 years and we settled at the 7 for the balloon.

If you are someone who has a bigger portfolio that you manage I would suggest appfolio or yardi.  

Design happens to be one of my passions, and I’d love to help you brainstorm ideas or suggest some cost-effective design solutions that could work for your project.If you’d like, feel free to share some details about the style you’re aiming for or any preferences you have.