I'd also encourage you to double check on pre-payment penalties as well.

Thank you all for the advice and words of encouragement.

When I submit my multiple choice offers, I encourage the seller to sell the property to me as a For-Sale-By-Owner.

One thing I would encourage you to consider is rehabbing to rent.

I have to agree with a lot of the folks here - its all about doing your homework and having the courage to act.It's encouraging to see many of you described your feelings with the same languae I would use to describe mine during that time: "addicted"  "research" "the right numbers".If your pursuing a loan to make your first purchase, I would establish a timeline and work towards minimizing your debt to income ratio (if possible).

A fiscally sound city will have cash reserves which helps with vitalization projects and encouraging jobs into the city.Taking the first step is the hardest.

I just encourage them to choose a city based on overall available housing, schools, etc and then port.  

Thanks for the quick reply, Julie - very encouraging to hear that it's an avenue worth pursuing.I used to be concerned about my personal furniture (which is not inexpensive) but after I added up the opportunity costs of NOT utilizing my primary residence as a STR in my absence, all my concerns about it vanished.

Therefore, if you want to know which one is better for you, I encourage you ask another question which is "how are you most likely to get more accomplished?"

The IRS is encouraging individuals with expiring Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) to start the renewal process before year-end to avoid delays at tax time.