How much money ideally should have saved going into buying a building? 

Ideally, we would love to have great cash-flowing properties in an area that will likely appreciate, but cash flow is the bigger priority for us right now.

Ideally, you get a better rate on the $80,000 that you owe on the house and you get a check for $20,000 to spend as you wish."

My wife and I are looking to buy/owner occupy a duplex, triplex, or 4-plex by December of next year, It would be ideal for me personally to purchase in Utah county. 

I'm a financial planner by profession, I deal largely with company and state retirement plans and assisting clients with retirement funding analysis.

It's certainly ideal for both you and the lender to have 1 year leases, but I can't remember a time when the terms of the leases had an adverse impact on the loan.

Ideally, I would say to have a pro do it.

This 3-family would not be where I'd want it ideally.

I have had a sit down meeting with the lender before getting pre-approved and finding a property to let them know exactly what my competitive advantages are and what my "ideal project" looks like.

Ideally, I would like to move into a 2-4 unit to "househack."