So bottom line they got away with it and are living in a beautiful safe clean country. 

A person should never focus on minimal $ down, they should focus on the deal, a "deal" worth buying, operating, the strategy, because the $ is always out there looking for a place to land that's safe. 

I'm leaning towards separate bank accounts to be safe.

I ran all of the numbers and it seems to be pretty safe from a cashflow perspective.

Then I came to the conclusion it was “risky vs safe”.  

We are currently looking at a HUD home in Georgia - I have a couple of questions and can’t seem to find a definitive answer - The home is currently in the OO listing period - our plan would be to buy the home doing extensive renovations (the home is in a “Historical” area so renovations have to be approved) once completed we plan on living there full time - it could take ip to a year to complete or longer I don’t know  - as I see it the OO designation is to be the OO for a min of 12 months - is this after the home has been renovated or after you close on the home - though the house could probably technically be lived in now it does have some water and roof damage and needs complete redo of electrical and plumbing - for me to deem it safe - so not really livable by normal standards - but no way it would be livable in just a couple of months - any thoughts or an actual answer to the OO rules 

I don't love taking HELOCS to burn, but if you have 500k in equity, you can safely use up to 250k to buy another property and probably get one that cash flows well by not living there.

A few things to keep in mind:Section 8 requires the property to pass an inspection based on HUD’s Housing Quality Standards (basically making sure it’s safe and well-maintained).The rent you charge has to align with Fair Market Rents (FMRs) in your area, so it’s good to check what similar properties are renting for.You’ll still be responsible for maintaining the property, but the upside is that a chunk of the rent is guaranteed by the government, which can provide steady income.Check with the local housing authority about any specifics for your area—every jurisdiction does things a little differently.This could be a great niche if you can find a good deal on the land and make sure your expenses (like maintenance, insurance, and occasional vacancies) are covered by the rental income.

They helped keep me safe and also allowed me to learn a ton from the entire experience. 

I am glad you landed in a safe location at least temporarily.