(You can't move earlier than a year and get another primary residence.)If you buy a 4br in the $500k range and put 5% down, that's likely $3300/mo or so.

As such, there's a wide range of quality in Martis and probably a range in $/sf.  -$600/sf houses (or even $400/sf) are definitely not out of the equation. 

If the second property you are buying is not turnkey, will require some work, and there is a clear value/range of what you can bring the property to by adding value then you can refinance to pay back the majority if not all of your HELOC (used for downpayment or to buy the property completely).You'll need to know how to analyze an after repair value of the property to figure out if that technique can work or not.

Also, I've added about $250 to my monthly costs to cover utilities.Looking on Furnished Finder, I do see plenty of places in my approximate price range, so I thought my target (average of $1100/room) was competitive and reasonable.

Always good to work with a seasoned rep who is reliable well respected and has aggressively priced products. 

To give some context, my budget is around $300K, so any recommendations within that range would be especially helpful.Looking forward to your advice and suggestions!

A good rule - as long as the plumbing and electric has been updated, a well-built home from the mid-20th century is a better investment and will likely outlast a newer build.Credit to the respective author

I moved from Florida to start investing in Columbus because of the same reason.https://www.zillow.com/learn/hottest-housing-markets-2024/The markets here in Ohio range.

I have been in the 70% range before. 

Building housing is subject to a significant array of regulatory costs, including a broad range of fees, permits, reviews, and other requirements imposed at different stages of the development and the construction process, with both a direct cost and a time/delay cost.