Leaves an immediate bad impression.Entry Door: This seems silly but make sure your front door opens and closes easily without the need to play around with the door. 

Also wonder how appreciation plays out in that area as well.

@Brady Ascheman To make the decision strictly from a Property Management standpoint you have to calculate your vacancy cost and cost to acquire a new tenant to know if a rental increase is even a smart play. 

Negotiating felt like a game of chess—except I was playing against a grandmaster, and my queen was missing.

FHA is unlikely to play nice in this situation.Bank statement loans might be an option for you.

This could be an opportunity to add value by offering to help with clearing or relocating those items as part of any potential agreement.Why This Could Be a Good Move for YouYou see long-term potential in the property, especially with the large lot and development possibilities (even if those are years down the line).As the current tenants, you have the advantage of a direct relationship with the landlord and familiarity with the property, reducing competition and risk.This could be a chance to lock in a property that you might otherwise lose if it hit the open market, especially in today’s competitive environment.Challenges to ConsiderIf the landlord is emotionally tied to the property or reliant on rental income, they may be reluctant to sell.Financing could be tricky, especially with today’s interest rates and the gap between the current rent and what a conventional loan might cost.The development potential you’re interested in is likely a long-term play, which means the property could be financially tight in the short term, especially if you’re only breaking even or slightly negative on cash flow.Structuring a Potential DealTo make this feasible, you’ll likely need to explore creative financing options that align with both your financial capacity and the landlord’s goals.Seller Financing: Propose a deal where the landlord acts as the lender, allowing you to make monthly payments directly to them.

Playing small won’t serve you or your family.

Even as early as this August, they were supposed to send us our original investment back, and then it really took a turn last week and when I finally got Neal on a Zoom call, he was talking another 2 years before it all played out. 

I think new investors who post here and take all the feedback as a whole, with a grain of salt, can really put it into play in real life and then discuss with investors at meetups in their area to get over the hump.

When you go to sell, Montvale requires a certificate of occupancy so this issue has to be resolved in advance of a sale.Although I am not a lender, I assume you will not be approved for an owner-occupied mortgage on 5-units if it is a legal 4-unit without some type of mortgage fraud whether in reported rents, units, or another legal document or representation (very very large issue from a legal perspective with multiple arrests in the last year for anyone playing fast and loose).As far as the DCA, I would recommend coordinating your work with the city with the DCA.