My grandmother wants to sell her home but live there rent free for the rest of her life.

I am planning to get into the TN real estate market as my first investment and am looking for some information.In particular: Areas to steer clear of, property management fees, typical cosmetic rehab costs, etc.My strategy is to put large down payments on 2 properties (relative to housing prices) to help pay for my living in NY while still gaining appreciation in a growing real estate market.

They can't afford the double deposit, indicating they live on the edge at the moment.

However, if the owner lives in Cuyahoga County or a contiguous county, the owner may be listed as the local agent in charge.

People who live in a slum do so because that is what they can afford.

This will give you the opportunity to ask questions and get live feedback right there on the spot.Once you have done the above - then you just have to do it. 

I'm not familiar with California but I know living in Florida, the closer you are to the ocean the more expensive it is to live.

We travel for work (healthcare) and chronically live out of MTRs, so it will be our first time operating a shorter term, but won’t be an entirely foreign situation to us.

My wife and I live in Chicago and vacation in San Diego every year.  

Stationed there almost three years, sold with profit and tax break for how long we lived in the house.