Fear and comfort are what keep us from taking action on anything new (relationships, finances, family, fitness, health).

Huge pain in the butt. 

I also ensure there's enough skin in the game that the Buyer won't walk away without feeling some pain.

My tenant wanted to sleep in the house while the work was being done but smoke damage can cause a lot of health problems as you can imagine.  

A few basic items that helped me in the past may help you as well.Conserve all cash possibleLeverage down payment programs if you can to offset the initial investmentIf you're able to, get roommates lined up to further reduce the upfront costGetting roommates can improve cashflow and the ability to re-invest in the property in the near termMake sure your credit is in good shape--a great score makes a difference on interest rates and that make a difference on your monthly costShop your title & escrow companies--they don't all cost the sameShop your mortgage--don't let anyone tell you they can't give a quote of their fixed costs and associated costsResearch credit cards that you can easily get AFTER you close on your house so you can take advantage of cashback programs or points programs from your new expensesTake advantage of opening a new savings & check account at a new bank--a pain in the butt, but the easiest way to find an extra $400-600 usuallyHope this is helpful to you.

And @Carl Fischer works for an IRA custodian who can help you achieve that goal.An Attorney I know who is a big real estate investor told me that all of his acquiring investments are in Tax Freindly ownership like Roth IRA, Roth 401k, Cesa, Health Savings etc. 

I'll also bet that the conditions that cause this market will be much less painful for the single-family and multifamily investors (if they are felt much at all). 

In addition to adding income I took pains to reduce expenses such as changing building management to reduce monthly costs.

She was married but separated and living with me for 4 years due to poor health.

HUD doesn't do lead inspections, they look for code or health violations.