It's also vital to find an expert realtor in each market that specializes in investment real estate and knows each neighborhood inside and out, especially in the Cleveland market where you can have million dollar properties a few streets over from F rated neighborhoods, but there is still a lot of great areas for cashflow in these markets! 

Believe parents lived in front (primary)home Palm Harbor and kids lived in Wayside (back) Don’t believe either house has been moved from being new and placed on property, 99.9 % sure Palm Harbor has never been moved.The 1974 wayside needs a lot of work, but it’s habitable (our kids are living in it) My wife heard the reason lender backed out was because 2nd home (Wayside) has a kitchen and bath.

As a newbie investor, actively seeking his first home, I believe that having accurate information going into my first purchase to be vital.

I have scene good rates with Utica Insurance for habitational quotes.

When setting new habits, when better to select what those are. 

Just make it a habit of checking it daily or create an alert for RE with an email address.FSBO (for sale by owners) is another way to get deals.

Each room area has to have a minimum habitable space.

While working on that, keep learning and get more knowledge would also vitally important to reduce the risk.

It's clear that the house is at least habitable, as it has several people living there now.

In Texas, if the original owners want to redeem the property, they must pay 125% of the tax sale amount in the first year, or 150% of the tax sale amount in the 2nd year, plus any maintenance costs required to keep the property habitable.