I know the question doesn't involve tax bracket, age etc. 

Note their ages and realistic life expectancy.

Then tell the agent to run comps for ARV based on updates you do.And you also said you can't afford to lose $20-30k, the most seasoned flippers/investors lose money all the time, and ultimately that is part of your education costs, hopefully you don't make any costly mistakes, but you have to run your numbers well enough to make sure there is some 'ooops' fund to help shield you from that.As for comps, typically, appraisers want them to be in the same neighborhood, within 15% same square footage, same # beds/baths and age.

@Dasha TaylorYour forward thinking and consideration of real estate investing at such a young age is commendable!

Always brings up the age old question: Are STRs really contributing to any element of a further housing crisis, or is this hotel lobbyists just pushing their own agenda to get more money in their pockets?

Upon verification, I will then give them written permission to have that specific animal on the property. 

(For properties of this age, months requiring some kind of repair seemed as common as months where nothing needed to be done). b.

This ^^^The single biggest loss as we age is muscle mass and bone density (they are related)

Homes with character comes with the aging home stock and there's no shortage of EITHER!

My thought is since cash flow is more difficult at the moment, and with my age, it seems more immediate and appealing to get a 15 year fixed that will set me up very, very well when I turn only 46 years old.