Screening and more importantly neighborhood & asset class can mitigate some of that but it's still an unavoidable part of the business.

Some expenses are unavoidable, but there are absolutely categories that can be controlled and reduced so more of your hard earned cash can be put into your investments or paying down those high interest loans and cards.

However I realize  HOAs may be unavoidable. 

Most feedback from the showings mentioned the clutter next door and the property hasn’t been kept well next door that is unavoidable.

If distressed sales are the 'driving force' in the market then they may be unavoidable.

When you add the rehab cost of $70k, and then the unavoidable cost overruns, your cash in (cost) will be over $120k...probably well over that.3 - I'm also assuming the $1320 CF does not include any mortgage. 

I think it's unavoidable.

The best help you can offer them at this point is a long-delayed reunion with some of the unavoidable realities of immigrant life in America, namely, and once again, that immigrants are not allowed to be dead from the neck up in this country.

Only if that is unavoidable would I consider that.

In your situation i would examine your budget and determine why you have had difficulty saving money, is it a matter of unavoidable circumstances or choice?