Unless otherwise noted in the lease, the owner/landlord does have the right to enter their property so ask her to set up a walkthrough with herDid you ask the owner why in the hell would you let some live rent free for 4 years ? 

It would take a hella long time for you to pay off the property from just your rents compared to other cities.Somethings to consider:are you looking to live rent free or with reduced rent or for positive cashflow?

Now it's becoming a hipster destination for ex-SF transplants.

To start we will be looking at good, safe neighborhoods in an effort to determine where to initially transplant from Va.  

If you utilize an FHA loan and a 6% seller assist you can acquire a property for very little out of pocket and live rent free. 

Unfortunately due to the strict tenant rights laws, there are "Professional Tenants" that know the laws very well and essentially live rent free as they manipulate and swim through the legal system.   

Next year I will be attending University of Texas at Austin and I am looking for guidance on owning a property in Austin with a tenant that pays the rent while I live rent-free so I can pay in-state tuition.

I ultimately would like to live rent free in a fourplex using the FHA 203K loan.

I'm a Michigander transplant in Illinois.

Trying to find MFs or single family homes with "Ohana units" to live "rent free" will be very hard to come by.