Wondering if you have advice on me just being the bank, where I purchase a house and structure a rent to own with him and have him build up a 30% cash down payment and some equity and then me sell the house to him at a locked in price.  

We have been keeping our eyes and ears out there for the past year. 

Hi Kevin,Welcome to the Forums.Best of luck locking in that first deal!

My advice: don’t overthink it—your first house hack is about learning, so pick a strong rental market, ensure solid demand, and lock in a deal that gets you close to break-even or better.

I might try the “emergency service” which is $20 with limited data and just use that for the smart locks and ring cameras.

It’s in pretty good shape at this point, rentable.I travel a lot for work, and a friend gave me the idea to do a short term rental as a one bedroom, locking all of my stuff in the other bedroom and office - I applied today and was denied because I don’t own both sides of my HPR, even though I have written permission from the owner of the other half….

The ability to get funding in just a few days can make a world of difference, allowing investors to act quickly and lock in the best opportunities.I’m curious, in your experience, what strategies have you found most effective for building strong relationships with reliable direct lenders?

Put temporary lock.  

Set the thermostat at 55 and lock it. $15 fix.Thermostat Lock

(i would have a sign that says you assume all risk when taking down this fence)-Have the fence gated and make sure you have a locking (or at least a latching) gate.