As a result of the title company’s search, they will produce an initial title commitment.

I understand the convenience of living in the dorms, but starting your investment journey will produce a better return.

This is an incredible overview!

My guess is you're going to have to wait 6 months, but I would start talking to lenders now to make sure you know exactly how the loan is going to look and what you'll need to produce to get it done.

REI has been something I've been incredibly interested in and passionate about for the last 5 years, this is my first step towards financial freedom.

REI has been something I've been incredibly interested in and passionate about for the last 5 years and this is my first step towards financial freedom.I wanted to put a roof (fixed, not mobile!)

Yes, you technically save some money by paying off your mortgage, but you could get a better return by investing that money into a property that produces a 12% return.

The right owner is a self-manager/live-in operator that can focus a majority of their time on it as it wasn't producing enough cashflow to hire 3rd party mgmt. 

You will want to work with a lender who can prequalify you for a loan amount and produce accurate estimates of the upfront and monthly cost associated with a loan, and a realtor who can provide you with accurate market rent data on comparable properties.

And there are certain steps that you should ask them about, are they going to produce a letter of interest?