I'm the landlord of a 3-unit building and wanted to know if I should be concerned about any potential plumbing issues (like freezing pipes) or other safety concerns.What steps should I take to protect the building, and are there any other things I should be worried about in this situation?

I recommend focusing on getting a great investment property and disregarding Section 8 in that pursuit because any property can be a Section 8 property, but a lousy investment is lousy regardless of having a Section 8 tenant or not.Section 8 will perform a basic functional and safety inspection for your units after you have an agreement with a Section 8 tenant and your local housing authority.

When finding the "right" location for long-term rentals, are there any neighborhoods or areas in Waco that you've found particularly ideal for maximizing rent and safety?

Some investors opt for larger homes with more bedrooms, while others convert existing residential properties to fit more people comfortably, ensuring they meet safety and accessibility standards.One thing to consider—smaller operations like RAL often rely on word of mouth and local reputation to fill rooms, so community engagement and relationships with local health care providers are key to success.PS: Fun fact—by 2030, it’s projected that more than 20% of the U.S. population will be over the age of 65, which makes senior housing a high-demand sector for decades to come. 

She's willing to pay the rent for the next two months to be a PITA, that is her choice.Inform her in writing the need to keep the AC set to a minimum level to protect the health and safety of the property even if she is not living there.

Just food for thought from a friend who owns a larger development company...

So to win capital some GP's had to put out rosier and rosier stuff to get the money over the next GP and their deal and hope that markets and cap rates with debt would make it come true over time.If sponsors would have just used long term fixed rate debt that was assumable many would be absolutely golden right now and if they needed to sell there are tons of buyers for assumable debt deals.The other properties it's a kick the can down the road and see if they find food to live or croak and the property goes back to the bank and the vultures on the side wait for the right time to take their spoils.

The issue that I'm facing now is whether I want to pull it out against one of my rentals or on my primary.I have found a bank that will allow me to borrow as a second lien on rentals but their rates are higher than what I could get when just doing it against my primary.What I'm most worried about is what happens in a worst case scenario, should something drastic happen in the market.From what I understand, using the money against a rental doesn't necessarily provide much more of a safety blanket in case things hit the fan because if, somehow, the HELOC lender can't recover their money, you'll get sued anyways.

My goals are to provide financial freedom for my future family and establish a sustainable safety net if physical limitations prevent me from retiring from my current W-2s.

Unrelated to HOA but if homes won't pass the safety engineered designation, who demo's house and haul off and when does HOA or city make owner to remove?