If it is not in listing, I will request to let me take it somewhere to test it works correctly,  or agree to take a lower payment since I am taking the risk in buying this and potential repairs needed.     

It's those maniacs that buy homes cash via quit claim deed off of craigslist that really get screwed.Make sure your property manager is a licensed real estate brokerage.Understand you can not eliminate all risk, only mitigate it.

And I don't believe that a broker will risk his license for you.

I agree with this, but I do think you are better off getting them out as inherited tenants increase risk.

I lived through the last credit risk of 2008-2012, lost a few nights of sleep, but I think its BEST to be prepared.

Not a romantic notion of some HGTV show, but the reality of rehabbing and all the risks involved.

You dont have the risk that comes with the Baltimore market, but you dont get the high demand and appreciation that you get further south in Gaithersburg/Rockville/Silver Spring.

I wouldn't go in on a house with a "girlfriend", that's a bigger risk than using an FHA loan IMO. 

My wife is extremely risk averse so this slowly built her confidence in us leveraging my professional skill sets outside of the W2 for greater financial gain. 

Every month I carry cash to my bank branch to pay down the balance of my mortgage, I've been doing it in the last 6 months, because I happened to have cash.I know if I do the same thing to my checking account, it could be flagged to the IRS as "structuring" or "smurfing", but does that apply to mortgage too?