It's not at all as they have presented it.

As investors (buying a home to live in or to house a business we own is DIFFERENT), 90% of sellers will NOT (at least at the present time) accept an offer that makes sense for the investor.  

It seems like there are additional obstacles to success for me since I'll have to do pretty much everything remotely, but an expression that I like, and I'm paraphrasing here, "If the path you're on seems easy, you're on the wrong path"Would love any and all advice, guidance, comments, warnings or whatever else you'd like to share.

Looking fwd to comments and feedback.

This can provide a benchmark for the appraiser and support your expected value.Be Present During the Appraisal: If possible, be there to answer any questions the appraiser might have and to point out the improvements you've made.

We’re working in a smaller market like Cornelia, GA, where comparable sales data can be limited, and want to make sure we present a strong case to lenders.

Seems like a lot of the negative comments and reviews are related to bookings, advertising, extra fees, etc.

@Ryan Marble I concur with the earlier comments, but would also ask if you know any of the costs/values.

Used your HELOC to fund the down payment on a second property if the right opportunity presents, otherwise those returns wouldn’t be juicy enough for me to take on more debt for the sake of scaling if you’re buying at retail. 

I don't ever stiff the housekeeper and if this was a long term tenant who needed to break early I would do it but probably not in this case, again unless regs require or mom presents a more compelling case.