You want to consider the quality of tenants you get and being in a central area means people can get to their jobs / school conveniently.

Rome wasn't built in a day.The advice above about leaning into quality assets is spot on.

. $50k is also conveniently too big for small claims court but not big enough to interest many lawyers.  

Instead of jumping straight to attorney fees, lean on your contract.

Columbus, Ohio is a great market to consider if you're leaning towards appreciation.

I remember reading something in the Wall Street Journal the other day that buyers lean toward modern finishes with a nod toward sustainable materials.

Overall, my primary goal is to create the opportunity to get into another home at minimal cost while keeping my parents in the current home, so I'm leaning toward transferring/selling the current property to them.

Just like you, I leaned on BiggerPockets when I was starting out—super helpful!

When it comes to creative finance, I personally lean more towards seller finance as I like getting to work with owners and building relationships with them.

@Haiden Welch I'd lean into local banks and credit unions.