Mine was also out of state, in a town I’d never visited, and I relied heavily on videos from my agent.This sounds like a tough first deal, but it seems like you have some capital on the side, which will be useful as you face the upcoming challenges and learn from those expensive early mistakes.Regarding the subject of this post, “help me adjust my expectations,” I’d recommend assuming that; repairs will cost twice as much as you estimate, maintenance and vacancy rates will likely double from your initial projections, there’s a very real chance you may lose money on this deal.That said, there are ways to mitigate these risks by:- Keep asking questions here on BP and connecting with local experts- Stay proactive and communicative with your agent and property manager.And remember “Inspect what you expect.”Im not trying to discourage you but to help reset your expectations.

I know what my ideal life looks like in ten years, unfortunately, I don’t feel like I can have my ideal life now because I am having to stay in the state that I am in until we can move without risk of my husband losing custody of his child, which will be in about 10 years so believe it or not I do spend a lot of time thinking about what I want the future to be like.

I prefer to stay further from the coast and hopefully further from major storm/flooding events (potentially lower insurance costs).  

It will include a compact bathroom, a tiny kitchen area, and a heater—just the essentials to make it comfortable for someone to stay in.

Stability: Homeowners tend to stay in their homes longer than renters, which can create a more stable environment for families and children.

How do I help them stay in the house, while getting the deed in my name?

I would tell people today that if you buy a primary residence expect to stay in that home for atleast five years, especially with a FHA loan which has lower down payment as the current forecasts for home appreciation or very low which with closing costs on the buy and sell, it will take several years to have equity in the property and enough to be able to sell, so that is something also to consider.

Stay tuned!

For the personal side of things, I do a GoBundance Onesheet, which breaks my life up into Financial, Health, Relationships, Friends, Adventure, and Spiritual/Contribution.Happy to share either document with you if that would help Tonio!

Condo a bit different - 7% note, but we furnished it for a MTR, and tenant is excellent and deciding to stay longer.