hi dan. i have run into similar situations here in the buffalo, ny area. basically, i go to the county records office and look up the recent info on the house. if there is a bank mortgage on it, they have to file paperwork with the county to register the lien on the deed. the most recent paperwork is likely your bank you will want to deal with. sometimes, neighbors know more than you think they do, so start knocking on doors too

I'm from Batavia NY which is right between Buffalo and Rochester.

. $40k will not get you very far in las vegas or any place west. here in buffalo, we have a good market. the prices stay pretty level for the most part. the killer is the taxes. then again, we have the winter issues too. not only does it get very cold which makes it hard to work on a place, but we have winter about 6 months out of the year.....lol. as far as your credit, pick up a part time job in a field that you have been in before. then, the job is a lateral move, not starting a new job in which you would have to wait 2 years before you could get a loan. second, take $1000 of that $40k and put it into a bank. after a month, go get a $1000 signature loan from that same bank, using the $1000 you have in the bank as collateral. state that it is a short term loan that you intend on paying back in 6 months. then, take that borrowed $1000 and go to another bank and deposit it. after a month, borrow another $1000 from the second bank, again using the deposited $1000 as collateral. continue this with as many banks as you can. when the first note comes due, use borrowed money to pay it off and continue as such with each bank. what you are doing is establishing credit with these banks and soon you will be able to go into any one of those banks and borrow money because you have good credit with them. 

I am 23 years old and will be starting my first year of medical school at the University at Buffalo this August.  

Just curious if there are any Buffalo Meetup groups to talk real estate?

@Sam Smith global warming is bringing them all back to Buffalo NY LOl!

I’m just starting out long-distance investing in value-add properties in Buffalo, NY (I live in VT).

@Victor Funes…we continue work year round here in Buffalo and there are a few things you should think about.

Here in Buffalo we can contract with one of many firms who will plow for a flat rate or a “per push” rate from November to April.Out of curiosity, what does your STR agreement state w/re: to snow removal?

That’s the market I’m in right now as well just starting out, except I’m looking in Buffalo, NY.