I'm open to suggestions on beginner books to start on (just finished Rich Dad Poor Dad) and anything I can do to get started now (house hacking isn't an option for me).

In my case, there are major issues like roof replacement, siding, mold remediation, etc. and the house is vacant and in very poor shape, so there is no way any of these violations will be taken care by the seller.

It was a great decision, but I missed teaching so not long after getting my CPA license I applied to be an adjunct professor.

If it's a standard Lakewood up/down duplex it probably has a plaster ceiling under the ceiling tile-- at least all the ones I visited when my son was apartment hunting were plaster.IMO, the "nicest" fix (assuming the old plaster is in poor condition) is to scrape off the acoustic  tiles and then drywall over the old plaster with a smooth finish; the cheapest fix, if the only problem is the one tile you pictured, will be to screw up the tile(s) that is/are lose, cover the screw with a little joint compound and then primer and paint the ceiling; If you are lucky the tiles have already been painted before.

We know our own area well, and can almost always find deals that we'd like to pull the trigger on, but until we accumulate more cash, we can probably only purchase another $100-120k in property before we slow down and wait for our debt snowball to catch up (pay down the HELOC and eliminate the cheapest mortgage to open up standard financing options again).Here is the conundrum: Another local long term rental (or two) would be a great decision, BUT a beach house sounds like a lot more fun.Specifically, we are 2 hours away from Panama City Beach, and we are curious to get into a new type of real estate.

., he does a good job and he's currently expanding his business and taking on new clients).I'm sure others here on BP will chime in with other recommendations, and you should interview several candidates before making your decision, but I do recommend you include Jim in the list of people to interview/consider.

What decisions can be made without consulting the other person? 

Otherwise, you are better to just rent for a year normally, see where the market is and make a decision on sale at that time.

@Pablo GuzmanWelcome to BP, and congratulations on making the decision to invest in your future via real estate.I have written a few blog posts that may help you get started here on BP, and with your investing.

I have been researching the area and am holding off on making any decisions till my friend moves to the area and can give more details.