Crime is everywhere but do other cities have the weather we do, the culture, the resilience, and the untapped potential that we have in ABQ? 

Which of these areas would be a better play for house-hacking in terms of likely appreciation over the years and rentability to potential tenants?

A general guideline of a certain amount per square foot might be nice for planning, but I would never use that number when I have a potential property identified.

There are many different ways to find potential hosts to co-host for.

I've flirted with the idea of a townhome / condo but don't feel they have the same long-term potential...  

Also if a property can support itself when leveraged at 100% then that is a good way to go and potentially a good property.

It's a vibrant market with diversified communities and promising growth potential.

I’d advise you speak to a CPA as well, different trusts bring along potentially different income tax filing results.The maxmimum income tax rates on trusts are also reached far earlier than they would be on a personal income tax return.Generally trusts and LLCs serve different purposes as well (i.e.

Factors such as higher interest rates, taxes, and insurance can significantly impact potential returns for investors.Remember, success in real estate investment often hinges on buying properties at the right price rather than selling them.

Then you've opened Pandoras Box and you instantly have the guys in the HazMat suits with fans and plastic sheets all over.....and a bill for $5000 for something you could have done for $50.I used to do this kind of work on the weekends when the city inspectors weren't driving around :-) haha , one time the hazmat guy come down to check for asbestos checking ; it wasn't that bad it's actually 2k and insurance company for that in my case.( To be honest, the house with water damage is good to buy because it scares the potential buyer, but if it's located in good location we could sometimes purchase the house with 10-30% discount lol but nowadays even FTHB knows this secret too so they still overbid the house )but yeah, to the OP, if you want to be sure you have to cut the drywall, the more the better.