Don't hesitate to ask questions and soak up as much knowledge as possible.

He has lived here his entire life, and knows the area very well, and he is a general contractor and has been remodeling homes in our area for 20 years.

Possibly a book or a podcast.

I’m here to network with as many investors as possible—whether you’re already using creative financing or just curious to learn more.

Is it worth doing any work to it as an "owner", possibly me going the property management way, or just stepping away from it entirely until the deed transfer?

With the right resources and help, you can still make it happen.There are options that can help make buying a home possible today — even if your savings are limited or your credit isn’t perfect.

Best bet is to try local and credit unions, possibly may have some programs for better rates.

"How could you possibly know that?"

Hey @Dalton Foote - I highly suggest  using a renovation loan and house hacking a multi-family if that is possible with your current life circumstances.The 203k and homestyle renovation loans are just amazing products and drastically help you reduce your risk, in my opinion, because you are able to leverage the cost of the entire renovation with such a low down payment loan.We work with a lot of clients who use these products in Chicago, and no matter what, in the long term, they gain great equity.If you aren't able to house hack - the process is essentially the same, but just with more money down with hard money or conventional construction loan.

Possible to help with this?