The house was built in 1900 (renovated), and for whatever reason there is a side entrance that leads upstairs to the second level. 

Is there just one entrance, like a hallway or do they have separate entrances?

I have them in the entrance area, which of course is high traffic, and they still look great 4 years later!

Newly updated Master Suite including walk-in closet and exterior entrance.

Good Evening,I have recently come across a live/work unit with separate entrances in a price range I am comfortable with.  

I bought a house covered by covenants and the HOA keeps threatening me with lawsuit when I replaced an original outdated entrance gate with a new gate about the same height and some AC units on my driveway.

What I am interested to hear from other New Jersey (especially Ocean County and Monmouth County) Investors is what is your method of investing in real estate to purchase the property at the lowest entrance dollar amount?  

I'm expanding that .5 on the ground floor into a full bath, but I don't know if I should turn the room that the entrance is in into a small master bedroom (with small master bath) or leave it as a formal dining room or den (both of which seem a strange place to find a full bath).FWIW, this is a long-term flip property for me: I'm going to be living in it for about two years while fixing it up as a means to save money by not paying rent, make money with any extra money from sale, and learn a lot of the ropes of house-flipping/hacking, which is something I'm interested in doing over the next decade or so. 

Also, does the walkout basement have its own entrance or do you have to enter it through the main house?  

Whether its a vampire (someone else pulling power from that entrance) or a faulty meter, you would need to involve the utility and will need an electrician.