So if someone was going to sell their property for $400k including the lot, but they decide to split it and sold the lot to me for $35k, I really think they could still sell the other property for at least $380k and make MORE money at the end of the day!

I have been educating myself on real-estate investment for about a year and still have a lot to      learn. 

That is a lot to share.Try searching through BP on this topic first.

I think they would be willing to help but it matters a lot to me do this myself the first time before soliciting for help.

A lot to think about as we close out 2020. 

I knew that diving in and buying my first investment property would be risky and I would have a lot to learn.

I believe my family member 'sold' the little section of lot to the neighbor for $1.00 as long as the neighbor covered all the survey and titling expenses.

Kumar,The lender you are using has risk based lending and it seems like they are asking a lot to buy down the mortgage. 

I willAdmit, It is a lot to keep track of!

House I'm hoping to leverage with numbers:Purchase: 3BD 2BA 122k, 120k purchase price, 2k feesRepairs + furnishing: 55k: I hit the jackpot and "found" a pipeline for another bathroom which was added, kitchen had to be redone completelyTotal cost: 177k, rented furnished to studentsOwnership: 5 years; total rental income at approx 80,000 total for the 5 yearsCurrent estimate sale price by experienced realtor in the area, she said we may get more if I make a few changes and change the office into another bedroom; 3BD 3FullBA (possibly 4BD): 240,000, after fees, commissions, minor repairs, and taxes: 204,000Total gains with sale: 284,000-177,000 = 107,000 after 5 years while I worked a full time job and that's just one of my properties.