I’ll be honest it’s not clear to me real estate is necessarily a better investment than say the stock market, certainly not a bad investment but not as hyped as some people make it, you need to decide how much owning your own home is worth to you & also how long you plan to be in the area, if you will be here for the foreseeable future, bite the bullet and buy, if your not sure where you will be in a few years, renting might make more sense.

And, even then, hitting your rate target would still be extremely challenging unless you were paying points up front, in which case it would probably make more sense to just try to put in a bigger down payment (or pay down the balance if refi) instead and get better terms naturally offered at the lower LTV.

:As an accountant it makes sense for you to use the desktop version.

Hard Money loans on primary residences do exist, but not in the traditional sense.

What you can't do remote is get a sense for the neighborhood and asset quality.

Also, from what I read in Bloomberg, midterm rentals near major hospitals can sometime command a decent premium.. especially if they include some nice furnishings.Little Tweaks Count: Even minor upgrades, like new door locks or a fresh coat of paint, can help you justify a stronger rent.Driving for Dollars & Networking..

Maybe if I was younger it would make more sense, but staying with the method I've used over the last 10 years will only become more refined and efficient.

Quote from @John Mason: If you are wanting to get ahead I would pay the  100 usd on fiverr and get it done and  then go to next  step  in  your journey and then learn the way to do it on the side so that you do not lose time..hope I made sense I do that now.

Quote from @Calvin Thomas: Flat fee makes little sense. 

My main question is whether it makes more sense to go the seller financing route and pay off the principal in 8–10 years or stick with a standard 30-year loan.My thinking is that the tax deductions from a mortgage wouldn’t outweigh the potential equity I could gain over those 8–10 years.