Timing your next investment is all about balancing risk and financial comfort—trust your instincts and run the numbers carefully.

As my wife is a realtor, we’ve helped several people from Bigger Pockets find their second home/STR.

I've sold several homes in this area for my real estate clients too, and they've all been happy up here. 

Me having several thousand good reviews help, but personally I would not book a property with 0 reviews. 

There are several threads about Brad on this site where you may learn all you need to know about him, and perhaps there are similar threads about Rod.

A risk with lowballing is another investor comes in with a reasonable offer around the same time and Seller doesn't even want to ask you for another offer.

I was fortunate enough to live in Detroit for several years, so I was able to establish a network before moving back to California.

Hey @Dalton Foote - I highly suggest  using a renovation loan and house hacking a multi-family if that is possible with your current life circumstances.The 203k and homestyle renovation loans are just amazing products and drastically help you reduce your risk, in my opinion, because you are able to leverage the cost of the entire renovation with such a low down payment loan.We work with a lot of clients who use these products in Chicago, and no matter what, in the long term, they gain great equity.If you aren't able to house hack - the process is essentially the same, but just with more money down with hard money or conventional construction loan.

Even if they don't fix it you would need to hope a magistrate decides its severe enough to evict.

@Matthew C. several thoughts:1) Appears you have a Class C or D property. -- Thus, you can expect to get Class C or D tenants, which have a 15-25% probability of defaulting on their lease payments.2) If your PMC is lowering FICO to 550, what are they doing to improve their screening in other areas?