I'll send you a DM as well but wanted to connect as I'm very involved in the multifamily market for small(2-4 unit) and midsize(small apartment complexes) in the Pensacola area as both a real estate agent and as an investor. 

I believe the city council or something needs to be involved, it’s an involved process, I would assume it’s a single family & go off that, the fact that it’s been illegally converted to a multi family is not a factor in the success or failure of trying to get it zoned as a multi.

I do plan to hold it in an LLC, have good insurance and umbrella as well. 3) Older homes in PS - most of the homes in PS are built in the 40s-50s and for those that own them, do you constantly run into issues with major ticket items - plumbing, electrical, etc (things that are not visible to the naked eye).

The truth is about the only credit I can give to any of them is that they got me interested in realestate and got me motivated to get involved in the game, the rest I learned by trial and error, people in the business and the biggerpockets of the 90s; creonline, who had people like you giving good advise to newbies for free.

I see it as additional paperwork, and a lot of wasted money (unless you were an attorney involved).

Get involved.

Without some on the ground knowledge those really low prices in some of the neighborhoods can really play some tricks on those "out of state eyes."

If you've been living in the area for a while, you surely have a handyman, plumber, etc, and friends who can be your eyes.

After 4 pages of people with 5 posts saying it changed their lives I was ready to write it off but @Curt Smith is the real deal in my eyes. 

With the homeowner involved it gets a LOT more complicated on the legal, financial, emotional front and you’re dealing with someone whose mindset as to risk is a lot different than the professional investor.