In the second example, the investor who bought it was in the middle of rehabbing the duplex without permits when the city shut his rehab down for not permitting. 

I am currently a college student with about 5k to my name.

I recently acquired raw land just a couple of miles outside of San Diego County and dealt with another county it was a straightforward sale and learn a lot about permits and codes in that area.  

Texas only permits trustee sales on the first Tuesday of the month.* timing is NEVER perfect, nor should you play with that number.

If I was 30 years younger and doing this from scratch again, when I was in college I would have bought a duplex/triplex that needed work with an FHA (or my VA loan as a vet), lived in the crappiest unit, fixed and rented the other 1/2 units out, then fixed my unit, moved into my van and rented my unit, then refinanced and did it again.

College students, families with children and good schools, up and coming areas, suburbs? 

People can make additions or subtractions with no permits.

Take this as a college year learning.

I am a sophomore in college and hoping to buy my first house soon, so I can live with some friends junior and senior year near campus.

2 weeks after finally getting the construction building permits, the world stopped by a global pandemic!