Then it has all of the things that some of the great NW Philly neighborhoods have going for them, but at a much lower price tag - great sense of community and genuine pride in belonging to that community, diversity, and proximity to the park.

And the wisdom that I have gained is this: Those who are wealthy can be poor within, Those who are poor can be rich within..It is the spirit of transformation that can change the course of one's destiny.

It is plain to see that your intentions were genuine.

I definitely know what you mean when you say that the area has transformed drastically over the years!

I used to be totally gung ho about taking foreveer to pay your mortgage off and investing the money elsewhere instead of merely paying off the loan and saving yourself whatever interest you're paying.Then I read a course by John Cummuta called Transforming Debt into Wealth (and no, I'm not selling it) and it totally changed the way I look at the idea of paying off debt.

If you can find "deals" for no more than $140k, that will genuinely appraise for $240k+ with just $25k rehab - you should buy them anyway, even if (only) to flip.The main point is: whether it's for a flip or BRRRR - don't buy UNLESS you reckon you can be all-in for less than 70% of its subsequent (anticipated) appraisal.

Why Real Estate, that is very simple to, I love transforming something that is ugly to something that is beautiful.

And if you're genuine about your endeavors, that will shine through and when you go back to the lender that you feel fits you best, you'll have a foot in the door.

Thankfully, I found BP since then, and my world has been transformed.  

I think I'll make a genuinely low offer on the property and see if I can either write myself in some safety margin, or have room to wholesale the deal if I chicken out  :) Wish me luck!