Real estate is not the end all be all panacea for building wealth, there are a lot of other options many of which will give you way fewer headaches than real estate will!

Ended up calling the Jersey City Division of Housing Preservation and in essence the entire home has to be in good order even if certain parts aren't accessible to guests.

With your experience working in building materials this could come easier to you. 

Hello,I am a Software Engineer and a Real Estate Investor working on a tech product for the real estate mortgage brokers. I would love to chat with someone who is a mortgage broker to understand your day to day workfl...

I've been burned renting to friends, leasing rentals to friends doesnt end well. 

Would love to hear any advice or experiences!

He gives out a code at the end.

You don't need to know everything to get started; you need a foundation to build on, and the rest will come through experience and then refining your education.You can build a basic understanding of investing in 3-6 months.

In the end, it may be the same amount of money or more, but it will just have to be structured differently as you navigate the shifting market.Northwest Valley would be a good option. 

I made a few thousand less than expected but I figure that's just the cost of doing business sometimes.Based on my experience I wouldn't let the remote possibility that a homeowner might go into greed mode dissuade you from doing these deals.