We live on one floor and the other half is rented.

But, I am considering buying a home 300+ miles from me that I can use as a vacation home for myself a few weeks a year and do short term rentals the rest of the year.Question: Can I get a second home/"vacation home" mortgage (10% down) when I don't have an existing first-home mortgage? 

Accountants are in such demand, that the best are not even accepting clients half the time.The other problem I see often with accountants on here is that they specialize in larger investors, and have really high prices when you as a smaller investor do not need all the bells and whistles.Another thing I see is folks thinking they need to have a tax professional in their state.

Not interested in miles so much.

Here are pockets I focus on for cash flow:West side - West boulevard, Cudell, Clark-Fulton, Jefferson, Bellaire-Puritas, Old BrooklynEast side - Fairfax, Buckeye-Shaker (the north side), Waterloo Arts District, Garfield Heights, Maple Heights, Newburgh Heights, Lee-Miles (the north side), BedfordHere are the areas that I focus on for appreciation:West side - Lakewood, Edgewater, Old Brooklyn, Ohio City, Tremont (above 490)East side - Buckeye-Shaker (the north side), Waterloo Arts District, Fairfax*I have a graded neighborhood map of these areas as well if you would like to check it out. 

When I moved to the Dallas area, we noticed half of the listings did not even have a fridge, dryers, and washers.

I am still getting 10 calls a day from agents , even as far away as 75 miles .

It does not answer every question (are they under/overcharging, do they have egregious cancellation terms, do they have silly rights to sell your property, do they have two and half pages of ticky tack fees, etc.), but something has to go reasonably right for a PM to have 95% occupancy or greater on a several hundred unit portfolio, in my view.

More than half of my purchase price!

Bet you any amount of money...The problems are:- Do they want half down?