Or should I go with just getting 2 or 3 secure cards  to start building my credit and ignore taking care of the debt (credit score-610)?

I actually already data mine my target county's public records for homeowners with equity, and I could easily re-run the analysis for Seniors who have owned their house forever.

A lot of times, I see landlords advertise that the application fee will be applied either to 1st months rent or security deposit.   

It appears properties on probate can either be sold privately or through public auction.

I honestly have still found better deals on smaller property publicly listed than larger multi-faimly publicy listed.

You will want to make sure to get your security deposit note out on time along with a note letting them know they can't use their deposit to cover the last month of rent. 

I saw a Facebook ad for something called Hipcamp, essentially an AirBNB for camping sites, public and private.

The information is publicly available on county tax auditor websites. 

As your primary residence, you should purchase the best house you can afford with your kids education and extra curricular activities in mind.Problem with SF public schools is the lottery system, but that's a whole other discussion.

The more complex aspects include circumnavigating the security measures intended to prevent scraping from occurring.