Often the rent amount alone will filter out families as you can usually rent student housing at a per room price that is much higher than average.As far as renting by the room or by the unit I rent by the unit, and have all occupants on the same lease "jointly and severally".

I could make improvements over time, and maybe some day when I either have more $$ or that golden unicorn buyer comes along, I could even turn it back to single family (though I honestly could never see myself needing more than 3000 ft2).

Think of this as a learning lesson and an opportunity to improve on a process with the pm.

I worked 10 years for the consulting arm of a big 4 accounting firm, helping Global Investment Banks, Insurance Firms, Multinational Asset Managers, and Hedge Funds improve their back office operations, specializing in implementing investment performance measurement systems.

Two ways I believe, % of value  of the improvement and actual cost.

Bad areas have their challenges but there are ways to invest properly and and you can even improve the property and the tenants in the property if operated properly.Management is the number one factor.

This will be a joint effort with my husband, he has been at his job for 17 years.  

@Jose CintronThe rent to own business with Sellers or with tenant buyers take some talent and some knowledgeWholesaling is pretty straightforward as far as finding a motivated seller and finding a cash buyer and putting them togetherIf you're assigning lease options I highly recommend you get an RMLO to prequalify your tenant buyers as per the Dodd Frank and the safe actThis way most of your tenant Buyers will get mortgagesThere's also a component of credit improvement to help increase FICO scores if DTI is OKI know Massachusetts really well I grew up in Arlington@Mike Hurney@Shaun ReillyMike and Shaun are been around the block quite a few timesBeing licensed allows you to show houses and market house you do not own to tenant buyers in MassachusettsOnce  you get caught acting as a real estate agent, you get a fine and you get a record against the department of real estate in MassachusettsThen  it's difficult for you to get a licenseIf you want to buy on subject to or wrap mortgage without a license I think you're in the clear because you're acting as a principal and you're getting on titleIf you just get your license and act as a principal you're fine, and also disclose to the seller that you are licensed but acting as a principalIf you want to be hardheaded and do lease options without license, please don't complain when you can not do business in  Massachusetts or Rhode Island or Connecticut or New Hampshire or Vermont, New Englanders talk to each other

Not that i dont have one but there is a HUGE room for improvement on that.

Maybe a buy and hold.Wish I could help more but the foreclosure listings just keep getting more sparse in my area and I don't see anything improving in terms of finding potential properties any time soon.