If they only own their primary residence, this gives them the opportunity to claim part or all of the depreciation each year. 

Is that a government rule, or just something most (or all) lenders do to avoid the extra risk of someone taking on another mortgage right after the first one closes?

The advantage of the seller financing some or all of the price is that they usually can get a higher price.

Low leverage or all cash 

@Jerry Padilla its a single family investment property, 80% LTV doesnt require PMI, can you tell me if selected banks offer Freddie Mac loans or all of them do and i can just call them up and ask for 80% LTV?

Any recommendations on how to tackle one or all, as my first investment property will be appreciated.Thank you for reading.

Your friend may then turn around and make you a loan for some or all of the money borrowed against the life insurance policy.Your friend needs to know that whatever amount is borrowed reduces the death benefit by the outstanding balance on the loan.If your friend is going to loan you money, you should allow your friend the same "security" your bank would demand if the bank were the lender.

We've used batts in that way to deaden sound from bathrooms and laundry rooms adjacent to living areas with good effect... even R13 would make a difference.Lowes sells sound insulating sheetrock that would help as well.Sound can also travel through the walls, so having insulated wall cavities would make a difference.On the very expensive end of things, consider using foam insulation (icynene, sp)... it'd cost a fortune, but that'd be as good as you're gonna get for sound dampening effect (It'd also make the space such that you could heat it with a birthday candle and cool it with an ice cube, but that's another story entirely.)A thought for further research would be to look this topic up on websites geared for musicians.

It seems some or all of the repair should be paid for by insurance, not by pawning the property over to somebody else.Based on what everybody said above, you should be offering much much less for this building.

If you plan on installing ductwork, the price you were quoted probably does not include building any wall cavities to enclose the ductwork.And be sure that you install "returns" on the upper level from the outset.