There are areas where we believe over the next 10 years the job growth will aid us in some nice appreciation.

Regardless of the plight of illegals, my job is to protect a very expensive investment, and if someone can't be taken to court or sued or have their wages garnished, etc., I am not going to gamble on them.

I defined what I was looking for and I thought he did a good job with several back and forths to get to a final price......

Congrats Will, super job on your part!

For example, do not leave any tools at your job site.

It is not common that a lender will issue a cashiers check but you also mentioned that you don't want to dip into your emergency fund, so you'll need your "skin in the game" somehow. 

For instance, here in central OH its becoming common for investors to purchase a side by side duplex that is distressed, adding a third story to the building, which is the owners suite, and then going through the paperwork to condo that building and split the parcel. 

They definitely bring in more money than a traditional rental but there are a lot more hoops to jump through and also it can turn into a job.

It’s common courtesy for a borrower to inform their senior lender that they will be taking out a second-position loan.

For an FHA loan yes you would need to be employed in the state where you are purchasing or have intent to start a job there.