The last thing the home needs to qualify for section 8 is new windows and a fire alarm.

I reside and work in Florida and have an extensive network in New York in which I will be referring real estate deals to a broker up there, but I just want to make sure that we are following the rules regarding referral fees.

I plan on living in it for at least the first year to qualify for FHA, so it would be in Colorado Springs where I live and work currently.

At this point, we would would have $80-100k in cash for a down payment and would rent our current primary residence. 

The other options include: -moving into the property for a year to qualify for loan products such as FHA or conventional.

You cannot be living rent free or you cannot use the rents of the subject property to qualify.  

have your information handy - income, debts, etc. just tell them you're not ready to have your credit pulled but you'd like to know what you might qualify for.

But, your property has to qualify and cash flow enough to support that LTV. 

My questions span broad areas and as I continue to do my own research, I'd really appreciate any experienced investors and residents who can chime in:1) For those who have invested in Chicago and DFW, or moved from one to the other, are there any qualitative differences in the way homeowners approach rehabs, structural issues, expenses requiring insurance claims, or any other major overhauls that a newbie must account and budget for?

I have a VA loan option from when I was in the military I have not used and have the down payment I’d need for our next residence so I don’t necessarily need to sell in order to buy my next house.