@hat materials do you use for the heat resistance to adhere tile to? 

Put in drain tile and a sump pump and dig around the foundation and back fill with new soil - water proof first. 

Do you think it would be smarter to rent for a year to allow myself time to get the lay of the land?

Lay it on me!

Maybe get the sign of no cats/no dogs, something visual.That being said,  in 90% of our homes we   allow pets-- because of the flooring, either tile or LVPT which is nearly  waterproof and incredibly durable!      

Lay it on me!

I can't find anything online that lays out when a property should be considered residential v. commercial.

The offsets in the clay tile presented a problem with catching debris, therefore we replaced that clay tile with PVC pipe out in front of the house.

Some are worded better than others in laying out gross commission vs. co-op.

If you haven't already, I would actually suggest trying to gain some experience flipping houses first - even if it's by assisting pr partnering with another investor on a few flips, to learn the lay of the land and pad your resume, so to speak.Beyond that, you need to do both actually.