Have you passed the tax assessment yet, or is this your first year of owning it?

So, in your considerations, I would park right there for a bit and determine how this would look for you.Since you have about 2.5 years to think about it before you would need to spring into action to take advantage of the rollover for tax advantages, maybe you try on a rental and see how it fits. 

This address is reflected in the land survey, tax collector, and mortgage. 

I learned so much from the course and PCS, and I'm claiming all of my cost on my taxes.

That's including high Baltimore property taxes, expenses, mortgage, etc. 

Note that the diagram doesn't consider tax implications—that's another important factor you'll need to include in your decision.

I guess I could do some work-arounds -- maybe reserve one unit in the first purchase for use as an AirBnb, and reserve my own time in it when needed - instead of claiming it as a primary.Are either of you (or anyone) familiar with a finance product/loan that will allow me to purchase under $150,000 (w/ strong credit) and do much of my own work and live-in a portion as a primary residence?  

With fewer buyers in the market due to high rates, investors who move now have leverage to negotiate on purchase price, seller credits, and even off-market deals.The biggest mistake investors can make right now is waiting for perfect conditions.

As there are Californians still moving here, the vast majority are instead picking the states with low or no state income tax like Texas, Florida, or Tennessee.Although we still have a positive influx of people moving here, more people have been leaving due to rising housing costs in recent years.To put it in perspective, we saw around +45k in the 2010's.Overall, CO is basically a balanced net migration in recent years which is likely to keep home prices steady....

You could structure the deal as an installment sale or a lease option so the property owner doesn't see a large capital gain tax payment for the sale.And good on you for helping out!