**This post is a factual breakdown of the situation and where we are currently at.

Section 8 can be a solid strategy, especially in cities like Detroit where the rent-to-price ratios often make it worth considering.

So - somewhere 2 hours away, or somewhere you like to vacation in, or where all your family lives, or where you plan to move someday.Too many people are trying to do exactly what you're doing - pick a market based on a formula - and they end up buying a random 'cheap' property thousands of miles away, turn it over to people they've never met or even spoken to, and then... lose money.  

You have no way of knowing.Henry brings up an excellent point about going into a nursing home where she'll be paying some/all of those fees with Medicare. 

A positive word from you could turn things around here where people are beginning to feel the course is a scam.

If they are, I would pay them off first.I would invest in a different market(likely bigger market) where you can find reliable contractors or find a PM that will be able to manage the properties.

@Jeffrey Bourque This is where the "art" of the deal becomes more important than the "science"/numbers.

Buyers are loving the softness of Champagne Bronze, and we are using that color for lights, plumbing fixtures, and cabinetry hardware.We find that these elements work no matter where you're located in the US, and no matter the ARV! 

I’ve had several deals like this on the buy side and sell side where the “gremlins” came out and started whispering against my intuitions.  

Without a shop, you can just say, “Here’s where you can find the toy” and skip the warnings.2.