A little about me: I work with investors worldwide to build portfolios with turn-key-ready SF/LTR properties and manage them on the back end.

Every time, there is new little things, especially in the financing process.

I would also INSIST that the seller have independent legal representation before I entered into a contract with an owner occupant.  

The only other options I can see are A) your mom partnering with you rather then selling the property to you - you become 50% owner and bring the funds and management to the rental while she provides the existing equity as her contribution; or B) your mom lending you the rehab cash out of her personal funds while also seller financing the house to you. 

A reasonableness standard is applied to negligence claims and I would argue a property owner who owns real estate in the Poconos and knows the property is left vacant due to the owners decision to lease the property as a short term rental should know that the pipes are more inclined to freeze and therefore should install heat tracing lines or other measure to ensure the plumbing lines do not freeze.

I actually like them because the homeowners' association (HOA) usually covers most of the insurance, and there is very little maintenance required.

I've made investments in Chicago, so I understand urban markets a little bit.

Here you can get a little cashflow + appreciation + mortgage paydown while other areas are just the former two. 

That’s how I got started—with little to no money out of pocket.

I went the owner occupied route on my first 3 homes.