I looked at one where I feel comfortable bidding 59% of what HUD is asking due to the water damage in the basement (I couldnt see mold but I'm pretty sensitive to it and could definitely smell it -- was very strong and I suffered from some congestion for 2-3 hours after being in the basement)HUD has not disclosed the mold (unsure if the PM company missed it or their inspections were performed before the basement flooded -- guessing it only got 1-2" of water in it) however it was in the house long enough the humidity warped some of the flooring upstairs and warped the door going down to the basement -- however I did not see or smell any signs of mold upstairs so feel for the most part comfortable buying the house.Am I wasting my time submitting a bid 59% of what HUD is asking?  

Which tells you everything you need to know about the state of the property but the reality is that works in the current environment. 

@Drew Slew If you’re not comfortable with the constraints of the 1031 don’t do it.

I enjoy having a day job (weird, I know) and am just looking to set my future family up for a comfortable life financially!

When analyzing a luxury short term rental (STR) vacation home for investment in today's mortgage rate environment, the ROI & margins can be extremely tight. 

Nothing wrong with this - it could actually be a home run of a market, just make sure you are comfortable with your underwriting.I suggest buying data for your market on Pricelabs specifically ($10-20/ mo - worth it).

I haven't looked into it yet but I like that I have this option.2) when I'm gone the policy value will go to my loved ones avoiding probate - direct check to beneficiaries tax free.3) if I do borrow from the policy its not 'free' - you'd have to pay interest, but if the reason I'm taking it out is making more in returns than the interest I owe, it is essentially free to access.4) general comfort in having the policy - just make sure to keep it active by making all payments on timeIts kind of like your own line of credit (LOC), no?

They have had 20 years of watching and hearing how their parents built wealth and comfortable lives.

A good point - important to find lenders that are AirBnBRRRR / MTR friendly, especially in the current rate environment when its hard to cash flow on LTR leases 

Would love to connect - we've published a couple of articles recently on this exact topic - helping real estate agents get comfortable with investor topics /etc, hopefully they will help and I would also love your feedback