They claim the repairs were done and that the properties were worth more at the time of purchase but that the area has deteriorated since then.Any help on this subject would be greatly appreciated!

@Tim Holt, Yes INDEED house hacking is the best option for most 1st time buyers.  

@Luke Spencer I am not on the management side but I can tell you it took 2+ years to fill 300 units at one of our facilities and the other just hit 300 units in 12/13 months so it really depends on the demographics, and local housing market trend, the more people moving in and out the higher the demand for storage.I think if you're looking at a saturated market then the upfront cash to turn the warehouse into self storage is not a good idea but then again, maybe those operators are on back roads ( low visibility ) and don't push google ads well.

Many Texas cities are incentivizing developers to build affordable housing units, but challenges remain around keeping these homes accessible long-term.

Borrowing against your paid off house without an income puts way too much pressure on the success of whatever deal/project you decide to pursue. 

I suspect there's lots of inventory, particularly for new folks coming into the area that find the real estate prices are much better than where they came from.Do you have a type of house you like to target?

However, I see this as a vertical integration and bringing more capabilities in house to make more money instead of hiring an outsider firm. 

If you are looking to house hack in our local neck of the woods, I recommend reaching out to @Josh Green.

Need to clean the junk out of house .. hoarder .

If I am house hacking then what should be the insurance.