It is not rocket science but the contractor must know what they are doing and using below grade finishes will NOT do the job (at least not here in So Cal).

Paying all cash usually means high risk, high rewards if handled properly. 

DC is one of the lowest cap rates in the country.If you have a long time horizon, and have patience, with the areas strong rent growth you can end up with more cash flow here than a high cap rate market.

Quote from @Jarod Forsha: Borrowing the equity in your home is risky when rates are this high.

Since LLCs don't do much (perhaps some wealth transfer within the OA or rules of the road with multiple members), they might not be worth it in high-fee states such as CA, MA and others.

. $2,500 in rent for $1,300 sqft seems too high, even for Bayview and I guess you are in Tippecanoe, but I have not seen the house so can't tell for sure.

Other properties are showing high costs, but I'm not really sure how to get good comps with this situation

The outcome of the deal with Archie Ragland was highly successful.

If you can't keep control of your personal finances, you are highly unlikely to succeed in real estate investing.

The one where you break even you might actually spend more money if it is in rough shape, high vacancy, etc.For example let's say property A is new construction in a stellar area.