It felt like everyone I found were self-serving, looking to line their own pockets, or not willing guide because of fear of competition.

Another one to consider is the FHA 203(b) if the repairs aren’t too major and you’re okay handling some out-of-pocket fixes.

Many companies have left the state entirely.Insurance is a simple math game. 

Others noted that the appreciation play could make it worth keeping, I tend to look more heavily on appreciation since real estate investing is more of a long term game.

One tip is to start looking into meetups to connect with investors / others in the REI game (in person/online).

Negotiating felt like a game of chess—except I was playing against a grandmaster, and my queen was missing.

Like @Sarah Miller and @Marcy Albrecht said, you can buy places within the city limits but it's still about location. with that said, i'm always looking out for my end game. one of the issues with buying in certain parts of canton is that when you decide you're done, you may not be able to unload your properties.

Without house hacking, your figures would look like this:$1850+1850 = $3700 - $1500 - $3200 = $-1000 net in your pocket (let's skip principal paydown and tax benefits for now).With house hacking, your figures would look like this:$1850+650+1500 = $4000 - $3200 = $800 net in your pocket. 

my condolences on your recent lost.there are a few ways you can do this, as mentioned above you can take a heloc on your primary residence which will give you a second mortgage, first mortgage payment wont be impacted. you can do cash out refinance which will give you one mortgage and payment. it will pay the old mortgage and give you money in your pocket to pay for the rehab.or you can do a renovation refinance which is similar to cash out refinance but we would contractor involved  as part of the refinancing and they are paid through the loan

My name is Andrew Grove, I am using my dad's Bigger Pockets account to reach out for help and advice.