The area is growing and I anticipate rents going up as well as house prices, i don't want to bet on this but it does give me some comfort that equity will increase over the next few years.  

I would bet that the owner works more than 20 hours a week.  

I tried using the rental property calculator but not sure if I did it right.

View report*This link comes directly from our calculators, based on information input by the member who posted.

But waiting for an extended period of time could also result in a higher interest rate so it will be a calculated risk.

I’ll run the numbers on the calculator but I think I’ll have to end up selling it.

Her half would go to her heirs and yours would go to you.Possibly put it in a trust and you could be joint administrators of the trust....best bet is to probably consult a real estate attorney in your area.

A heat loss calculation should cost a few hundred $$ and/or be bundled into the cost of a new system.

As a small scale investor, I would argue the safest bet for the Mom & Pop investors like us is the standard single family rental property.

Understand the fees involved and calculate the total cost for an entire year of management so you can compare the different managers.