As an NYer looking to start in my local markets (from my general understanding, that is, any surrounding area within a 2-hour drive), I’ve been researching East Orange and City of Orange given the numerous reports of  redevelopment projects in those areas.

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I've bid and won numerous times at NJ Sheriff Sales, is that what you mean by county auction?

Plus, QuickBooks on-line is always up to date.About 10 years ago I bought a real estate guru program on accounting for my rentals... it was Quickbooks with a few features added in for rentals.

He is going to give some free training, and show some of the new features with REI Blackbook. 

Too many REI fall victim to the emotional glamour properties and rationalize those as better...in spite of bad numbers.It's all about the numers...with $$$ in front...and "+" in front of that.Rationalization is the most expensive word in the REI dictionary.

You have to show the features your property might be lacking are close by, easy to get to, and convenient when a buyer wants to do those things.Right know you need objectivity.

Townhomes can be an option if looking for the low maintenance ownership features of a condo.

Michael,There are numerous options available, depending on the property (cash flow, rental history, loan amount, location, etc).

Since you aren't looking for an immediate return and will be living in the house for several years, I would recommend fully updating the master bathroom and progressively updating the features in the other bathroom.