If we sell, we will have between $150-200k to play with.

And that is really saying something because I invested a tremendous amount of myself and time into my small business and learning to play guitar and my personal recovery and growth as a person.

When you go to sell, Montvale requires a certificate of occupancy so this issue has to be resolved in advance of a sale.Although I am not a lender, I assume you will not be approved for an owner-occupied mortgage on 5-units if it is a legal 4-unit without some type of mortgage fraud whether in reported rents, units, or another legal document or representation (very very large issue from a legal perspective with multiple arrests in the last year for anyone playing fast and loose).As far as the DCA, I would recommend coordinating your work with the city with the DCA.

Building this company with my family has taught me the power of collaboration and the importance of playing to each other’s strengths.

I am a current Senior at Catholic University of America playing Baseball and finishing up ny accounting degree.

Plus, having a fully paid-off property could be a nice safety net if the STR market takes a hit or occupancy slows down.On the flip side, if you’re eager to grow, saving for another property could be the better play.

If it's a long-term play, the potential savings on PMI with a conventional loan could be significant.Have you compared rates for both options?

If first time home buyers are having a difficult time coming up with the funds for even the costs to play as a first time home buyer then are the non profits supposed to pay the buyers agent commission too? 

Negotiating felt like a game of chess—except I was playing against a grandmaster, and my queen was missing.

I think new investors who post here and take all the feedback as a whole, with a grain of salt, can really put it into play in real life and then discuss with investors at meetups in their area to get over the hump.