You have come to the right place to begin your investing journey.Awesome board with many smart people having own suggestions and ideas to grow wealth!!

Since the kids are in school, the only real window to remodel was in summer.

Board it up if needed after mucking it out.

After some research, I've come up with the following:- Blown-in insulation to fill the joists with hard-packed cellulose- Add asphalt panel board layer across the entire ceiling to the existing drywall and fill the cutouts. - Add a second layer of 5/8's drywall to the asphalt board. 

Do you want to pay a 6% "on-boarding" fee on the front end?

I am not kidding! 

I'd spend the money on quartz.You want to have a nice place so don't be afraid to spend where needed.I've heard horror stories of people putting in butcher block and people using it as a cutting board.

I'm looking at the asset and RE as a store of wealth (as part of my overall investment portfolio) to pass onto my kids.

It is primarily a family neighborhood with kids. 

I've been on this board since 2010 and haven't found an example yet.