I taught in that district for a year and been visiting since I was a child.

Having helicopter parents as "effective" tenants can be trying experience for the landlord as well.As guarantors, the parents are not signatories to the lease, but guarantee to financially backstop their child's obligations under the lease.  

Jonathan Child I feel a little "misled" on how easy it would be to get my cash back to keep investing.

How about the child who inherits their parent's house? 

The neighborhood was not great and that didn't bother us until we had our first child. 

I’m 26, single mom of an elementary school child.

With a new child in your near future you will have plenty of time to study and little time for anything else for possibly several years.This site is full of information and has many suggestions on books to read.You will need to concentrate on also building your own credit.

There was a previous tenant with a child who's 8 I believe.  

In fact, many parents have used a home purchase in a college town to set up housing for their own child / student.....as well as to make it an investment for themselves by renting out the other rooms, thus providing free housing for their own child and getting a decent ROI on the property.

It was friggin child's play.