If you do go with a $180k home, I would think you would be stretching yourselves pretty thin w/ your income...

My perspective is certainly around the rehab world though.Leverage allows me to stretch my capital into more projects.

If a building is half paid off, should I re-mtg and take the equity out for a new property and stretch the new mtg out to 25 years again.

This is really the only way I see you stretching the $30k further there where it sits now. 

I wouldn't stretch it more than 7-14 days.

35 is not old by any stretch of the imagination. 

(a lot of my clients have maybe 100k cash saved but make 20k a year and live in Pasadena, ca where a fixer upper costs about $650k) : they really want to get started in real estate and are looking for every way possible to pin-point a place where they can stretch their 100k... so, one of the conversations I have with them is: how can you invest a portion of that 100k in yourself to increase your income. maybe schooling, maybe starting a business, maybe a course on whole-selling- or all of the above on whole selling.... but it is very difficult - not impossible, but difficult to create an empire with 100k saved and making very little income). * the alternative: you learn, you research while investing in yourself, and then getting a better job or business that pays you $50k, $75k or $100k + per year.

The more units the better.10% down buys you a building so 100k buys a 1m dollar building any day of the week.But try to stretch your money as far as possible. ie: get a first and a second mortgage and then your down payment all combine to purchase the largest building you possibly can.

I just didn't know if that was the best way to really stretch your dollar out by investing 100% into the home without properly considering borrowing money.one thign that comes to mind is, if you have the money to buy a home outright, why not borrow money to stretch and buy 2 homes and increasing yoru earning potential?

But to expect a third party to visit the home every 3 days may be a bit of a stretch.