@Margot Weatherford  If the lease is up in 4 years, the only way to get more security is to "tie" it up long enough to see if you could go ahead and get an extension from Family Dollar/Dollar Tree.

Granted we have money from our W2 jobs that we can also put towards it to pay it off sooner.

Hi Maria,Finding, evaluating, and securing high-return opportunities in private money lending can be rewarding, especially for beginners.

Granted, it's Ohio and not seeing appreciation like we've seen in Florida - but this area in particular is seemingly healthy. 

Donating appreciated securities to a charitable organization can be a smart way to give, both for you and the charity.

A solid W2 income can be a big advantage when it comes to securing investment property loans, so it's smart that you're recognizing that.

Then the current owner(seller) would sign off on it granted there are no discrepancies.

I have had a number of questions (how to handle land contract payments, how to set up security deposit refunds, etc.) and between their online support and responses to my questions via email, I have yet to run into a situation I couldn't address. 

It's difficult to secure a real estate loan if if you a lack of credit history.

Does anyone have any experience with receiving any grant funding, whether be it government or private sector?