Their business still needs to grow up. 

Pretty easy to get a $6,000 to $10,000+ sewer dig up and replace cost if it's a perfect wide-open area.

Can anyone tell me why properties in Illinois show up when I search for properties in East Tennessee?

This means that the bulk of the expenses are not going up annually.In addition, if OO you get to write off the property tax and interest to the SALT limit ($10K). 

Screw up an investment and you'll lose the money and the relationship.

I went from growing up in a hut in Vietnam and spending my early years in Section 8 housing in the U.S. to now owning four cash-flowing properties (8 units) across three states.

If you are willing to do mid-term, you open a lot of boxes up.

Depending on your income level, you may be able to take up to $25K of losses.

Do you look up competitor rates?

You don't want to lose your rate on the house you are living in now unless you want to sell it so since that is an owner-occupied, you need to stay there and save up the 20 percent for the second property based on what you said.