Like the inevitable just waiting for you to come around the corner so it can jump up and throw you off your game or halt your progress or sink your ship I guess....

Regarding referrals, Angie's List is a popular web site that is a great source of referrals for all types of trades.

You are in the best place on the web for accomplishing your REI goals.  

I don't play the price game.  

Whenever I just look at properties on the web for fun I always factor that in when im running the numbers.

Along the way, I would also like to help as many people as I can realize that they can achieve financial freedom through investing.I'm a total square, spending most of my free-time reading about real estate, the economy, politics, and every so often wasting my time with video games.

Here is the web address:  http://www.meetup.com/R_E_X_/.My best advice for you starting out is to listen to the BP podcasts and others, read books on real estate and network with as many people as you can.  

Will a bank look at this like an investment property even if the end game is us actually living in it?

@Alexander Moses  I will be in OKC next Friday sat sunday scoping out your market.. unfortunately the warrior thunder game is Sunday if it was sat I would have gone.. should be a good series.

That makes sense and I understand not wanting to go through all of that trouble without some skin in the game so to speak.