Cost was not as much a determining factor.  

My personal opinion is that, while shifting investments into real estate may be the right move for your situation, there is likely a lot of work to be done before you get to that step to avoid a potentially costly mistake. 

Can try to reposition to Class B, but neighborhood may impede these efforts.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, but 15-20% should be used to also cover tenant nonpayment, eviction costs & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores of 560-620 (approaching 22% probability of default), many blemishes, but should have no evictions in last 2 years.

From there we identify properties that could have some potential and if you are interesting in diving deeper, 1) we do a thorough video walkthrough to give you a realistic look of the property, 2) we give a ballpark estimate of rehab costs (we do 40 a year with our GCs o we will get pretty close), 3) we talk through market rent with our property management team, ARV, and potential highest and best use.Ideally you find great investor agents who know their market really well and have a network of resources to provide you with enough confidence to take reasonable action. 

I did not see marketing costs, nights that you need to spend at networking meetings paying for dinners or memberships.

I’m just really surprised that the tenant is not taking the option to break the lease break with a $ number offered (1 month rent plus reasonable amount for parts of house he wasn’t able to use) that is within a couple thousand dollars of what he wanted anyway.  

Short term rentals do get more money, but also cost more to run and require more time.  

As long as your purchase, rehab and closing costs fall below 70% ARV then you won't have to bring any cash to close. 

This creates two loan payments ($100,000 of equity and $300,000 on the new mortgage).Key NumbersHome Equity Loan Interest Rate: 6%Mortgage Interest Rate: 7%Rental Income: $3,000 per monthExpenses (management, taxes, insurance, maintenance): $800 per monthIncome and ExpensesMonthly Rental Income: $3,000Monthly Expenses: $800Monthly Mortgage Payment: $2,000ExplanationThe investor earns $3,000 in rent each month.They pay $2,000 on the investment property mortgage and $800 on other expenses.This leaves $200 profit each month or $2,400 per year.However, you have to pay $6,000 interest on the equity borrowed.This leaves you with an annual loss of $3,600.While the rental property generates positive monthly income, the interest cost of borrowing the initial $100,000 results in an overall loss.

Outside systems like plumbing, sewage, and the water heater should be in good condition, and make sure there are no signs of pests.Additionally, look into property taxes, insurance costs, and zoning laws that could affect future development.