Then see if the money you might make is worth all the effort, money, headaches, etc. to build out. 

as a break between living spaces.I'm not a builder but I imagine builders enjoyed a little savings by not having to budget for all the additional interior walls, but maybe that money had to go into costs anyway.Open floor plans are nice, but a bit too open for me.

While there are certainly cases where they can make great money, in general your best recession-proof best is likely a more "average" home.

She'd have to invest some money to create this set-up. 3) Selling doesn't make a lot of sense, because in this market, she'd end up paying the same for a small place, condo, with less flexibility. 

So I'm sure someone with money and idea ready to go would be willing to pay to cut that time and risk out.

You are probably throwing your money away if you are planning to hire a "guru".

A trust may offer some of the same benefits as an LLC, depending on your goals, and allowing you to claim the part of the house you live in as homesteaded tax.Make sure you have the right home insurance and consider an umbrella policy for extra protection.Certainly buying a house, using conventional financing with limited money down as a primary residence and renting out parts of the house to help pay the mortgage, is a smart financial move.

Investors, (two of us) ultimately funded about 32% of the project with cash and additional money was raised from members of the local REIA, simply by word of mouth.

Meeting them puts a face to the name and forms a human connection... you're not just after there money. 2) Provided them with a rental application.

I appreciate any input in advance.Not only are helocs harder to find for investment properties, what you intend to do with the money matters.