It is difficult to get rid of all the "cat" in a house after they have been there.

Simplify your finances and get rid of the $100k (or whatever it is) debt at 20-30%.

If you'd like to get rid of these onerous rules to meet you can refinance out of your current FHA loan first yes.The other consideration is that if you move out of your primary to purchase a new FHA property you may also be subject to the 25% Equity requirement on the property you're vacating or leaving + the 100 mile rule that FHA has in place to stop rapid acquisitions.

- Do you know how long it can take to get rid of a nonpaying tenant in the State of NY?

Just give them back the money, don't hand over keys and let them know that you won't be moving forward with themBetter to get rid of them now then get stuck 

This is concerning and suggests that they may not be prioritizing their clients' needs.Let me know if I can help you in any possible way to get rid of this dilemma.

@Tom S.Thank you for the great advice, I will definitely make sure the inspectors check against the code book, its a duplex listed at 69k currently but foreclosure company seems eager to be rid of it, so the price should be fairly flexible.

This is a request from the mother who is on the lease, saying 'she can't get rid of her', and as I understand through her is problematic. 

First thing to do is get rid of the tree.

I’ve thought about doing this the Dave Ramsay way and getting rid of mortgage before investing.