Otherwise you can really put your family in a jam.I strongly encourage you to embrace Dave Ramsey's tenants in your personal finances, read Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, and give yourself several months to research Bigger Pockets and build your support network.

It is not uncommon for a local ordinance to ADD further restrictions to a federal mandate.Depending on how warmly your local government embraces technology, you may or may not have online access to much of the relevant laws.

@Jesse Felix if you can embrace the game of "how much money can I save every month", you will position yourself well for not just the first down payment on the first property, but the ability to maximize the opportunities you may find over a longer term.The game of "how much can I save" is great training for the game of "how much can I earn" when hunting and analyzing deals. 

@Dan Heuschele all offered as spirited exchange of ideas not hostility:  I think you are only embracing the free market when its negative affects don't involve you directly.

MASSIVE Learning on BP is readily available, it's everywhere and can be life changing, if you're willing to trust it and embrace it (after doing your logic checks)...

Embrace them and learn from them.

Great tenants, great properties, and the city is really embracing it.

It is NOT normal to embrace it.I honestly don't think we can solve our housing crisis until zoning is no longer controlled at the local level and is given to big government to control for the benefit of all instead of the individual home owner.

So while our RE goals started as my husbands passion, I’ve embraced it fully and feel confident I’d do well in a RE centered career.

So I'm more willing than ever to embrace the right kind of debt.Having said that, is there a particular route that you would recommend or a direction you'd point someone like me in?