Very informative, although I have nothing to compare it against.One of the things several people were talking about was the following example:Purchase a $200k house from a distressed seller for $150k.Take out a loan for $160k, getting a check back at closing for $10k.Use the $10k as a safety net in case cash flow issues arrise.

With the subprime meltdown, the tighter money policies taken effect, and the way the market has gone from high-appreciation to nearly no-appreciation for the time being, and interest-only loan won't help you much...

say my goal then was to protect my primary residence from anything that happened on a rental.Is having a large unbrella policy enough to solve all of my dilemmas?

Buy the Million Dollar Umbrella Policy.

By this I mean a property that is not inhabitable so likely to require a policy that is valid when vacant and under construction.Foremost would be one.John Corey

As of now, it's against company policy.

That the title company will issue you a policy if you but.

However, that is the safety net.

I urge you to read your insurance policy and see what it says about lead paint, mold, other environmental hazards, etc.

Policy here says not to post URLs.John Corey