I've looked into getting home-equity lines of credit and that seems pretty interesting, but not sure if it wouldn't be better to just use the 30k and get a mortgage and hang on to my equity for later usageI also looked into cash out refinancing.

Thanks for the offer, I'll hang on to your contact info.

What I do know is that in the end your success in real estate with your license has little to do with the company you hang your license with, but the efforts that you make serving others. 

Plus good agents are hard to find, and if you find one you want to hang on to them.

I have been hanging out there and learned from a neighbor that the place is partially occupied and the previous owner was "always there fixing things".

The systems want to use too much hanging space with shelves but a narrow shoe shelf is handy and will support a rod with clothes.

I've tried calling tenants rights organizations, but the minute I say I am a landlord they either give me an unhelpful referral or say something snarky and hang up on me. 

We’re looking for low cost properties to start with to get the hang of how all this works.

So unless you care to hang on to the cash and continue the tax and bank evasion, I'd tell them that you'll accept it as long as recorded and documented.

I'm a little nervous about a 1/1 home and septic/well -- I understand that selling, when I choose to, might take a little longer, but, at this point, I think I would just hang on to it as a rental and milk it for the cash flow.