My hope is to hold this property.

They also have a support ticket system and customer support contact number that sends you directly to a human being.

Newer construction code requires better earthquake-proofing, but it's still aimed at preventing a building collapse rather than holding the value of the structure.About 15 years ago there was all the talk about "100 year homes" but I haven't seen much come of that.

Owning in an SCorp is not for all lenders, but plenty of lenders are ok with this holding type. 

AccountabilityAnother obvious and much-needed benefit of a coaching program is having someone hold you accountable.

Write it up to an education, spend some time sharpening your support team (particularly in the trades) and start thinking about how you can do it again!

Over time, I’d like to expand into short-term rentals, buy-and-hold properties, and flips.I’d love to connect and learn from this amazing community.

THEN, I plan to purchase the second home using a FHA or conventional loan (3%-5% down), for which I will likely pay the monthly cost out-of-pocket, maybe with some rental income support if it is a duplex.My concern is, I do not want to spend my savings or weigh down my debt-to-income ratio so much so that I cannot qualify for and pay the down payment and closing for the lending on the second home.Questions: - With the first home being multi-family, 75% of the rental income (or potential rental income initially) will relatively either maintain or boost my debt-to-income ratio from lenders' perspectives, right? 

I exclusively invest out of state (buy and hold / fix n flip) because cashflow is extremely difficult to find in this area.

Is it a small town with one factory supporting the town?