But don’t wait until they’ve already found other deals and made other plans. good idea - and agreed; our most important goal is to get rid of the monthly payment!

You personally can’t pay loan payments, all payments must come out of an IRA.

I'm using down payment assistance, 3000 is what I estimate will be out of pocket after

I know that I can buy a lot and use that as a down payment, but I have two pieces that are making me a bit nervous.

I have a zestimate for $2,780 payment but instead I'm paying $3,798!

Here's a mix of steps and strategies that might help steer you through these choppy waters:Documentation Is Your Best Friend: Make sure you've got a solid paper trail of all interactions, notices, and agreements related to rent payments.

I am considering selling the place, but not sure if I should given that I have a 142K loan in place with pre-payment penalty, or if I should just see this eviction through and just try my hand at getting another tenant in there vs possible lease optioning the home out. 

That way you only need about 10-20% for the down payment and the hard-money lender will cover the rest AND they will cover the cost of repairs. 

But let primary activities drive your business because they are repeatable and reliable and in REI thats finding deals.

So from a pure monthly payment standpoint: (duplex) 3,200 - 1,300 = 1,900 > 2,400 (single family)As you can probably see, this property isn't cash-flowing, let alone breaking even.