It is always good to see more Canadian's, Maritimers especially, here ... and a Bluenoser to boot.Congratulations to you and your wife for pursuing training and certification(?)

To close and a maximum amount.  

Double the congratulations from Ron, and a preemptive welcome to Asheville.I was in a similar situation last year and just asked the tenants what they thought- they said I could give them a free month's rent and that would be worth the hassle for them finding a new place and moving.

The 1st floor condo is currently utilized as a commercial office space and the layout is set-up without a full bath, proper kitchen, etc, but just right for a smaller office.The other 2 units are regular condos for families.I'm trying to figure out what option I am better off with:Option 1: Leaving the first floor unit condo as a commercial space, renovating it and trying to find an office to occupy it.orOption 2: Invest in doing a full kitchen and a full bath to make it a proper Tenant rental.Option 1 seems like it will be more economical but there is a risk it will take longer to find an office to rent the space vs a tenant, and the loss I take on finding that commercial renter may offset what it would cost to re-do the whole unit by investing in a full bath, kitchen, etc.I'm also wondering whether I'm better off having all 3 units be tenant-rental condos if it makes it easier to sell down the road or should I just consider keeping 1st unit as a commercial space and take the chance?

Looking for advice on granite or soapstone kitchen countertops that will look good with White cabinets, Agreeable Gray walls, and a beige-ish floor tile. 

I've been wanting to get into real estate as an investor and a agent for the past 2 years.

We have $130k in equity in the house, and as I said, we're saving for the rest. 

Keep in mind with FHA PMI there is an upfront 1.8xx% that you pay on closing then you also have monthly PMI and it never falls off the loan until you refinance(at above 20% equity).The reason I say refinance after 12 months is 95% of banks require a home to 'season' for 12 months between the initial sale and a refinance in order to take advantage of a higher home value.

Looking at maybe just doing a basic white plastic tub with a plastic surround.Flooring – I need to get about 300 to 400 square-foot of tile installed.Basic handyman and drywall work – it looks like there are a couple of areas where water pooled outside of the house, and a little bit seeped in, so some drywall needs to be replaced, and probably add some type of sealant to prevent the leaking in the future.I have already been looking through many of the forums and have found a lot of great information.

I do not live in the town and a value add for me is a handyman childhood friend is willing to managing property for 10% of rents.