I recommend investing in the area where you live and trying out house hacking—it’s a practical way to dip your toes into real estate!

I really like LLCs compared to corporations because of the free stepped up basis for passing property to my children. 

It is common practice for mortgage companies to later sell the already funded loan to a 3rd party like a hedge fund or a bank after the fact.

Since the properties are in New York you have a few extra steps you need to do to keep all of your funds out of NYs hands at closing.Here's an interesting BP thread on the South Carolina property tax issue you mentioned. https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/725/topics/604427-south.... 

You might consider other strategies, like taking a home equity loan or refinancing to fund repairs, but consulting with a tax professional or CPA would be the best next step for your specific situation. 

@Jacob HavlovickCongrats on purchasing your first duplex and starting your house-hacking journey—this is a huge step toward building wealth!

Welcome to the world of real estate investing, and congratulations on taking the first steps toward learning about this exciting space!

Hi Makani, congrats on taking the first steps into real estate!

For RE owners, death allows you to pass assets to your heirs and step up in basis, effectively eliminating recapture.

Like Fiya, posting about my loss and this frustrating experience will hopefully expose this company's faulty practices and help others steer clear of Tyler Deveraux, Ryan Woolley, MF Capital Partners, MFM, their new companies, and groups like them.