I have already spoken with the planning department and zoning would not be an issue in this town but if a deal is in a different town then all bets are off.

- I have a call in to the town's zoning department to ask what would be required, but any tips or things I should look out for? 

Don't assume it's too late...you can submit a construction change to the building department and process the plan revisions to make the change.

Once you wrap them under one, there are additional required benefits to staff, discrimination laws, potentially higher taxes, and a full on HR department!

I learned a ton about working with the city zoning department and the public library to get phone book records from the 50s to prove that it was built as a duplex.

So, if you take DIY possession but the property was not legally abandoned (owner departed and has no intention of ever returning or ever doing anything with the property) then DIY possession was not lawful and does not count.

I know it sounds like I'm splitting hairs but some banks write HELOCs in their residential department....which won't write Investment Properties.

So yes, get the HELOC on your primary, learn more about investing, look for a new primary so you can rent out your departing residence, and also use other conventional methods of investing that are found throughout the forums.

I provide some salt for them each winter, when I am able to pick it up and deliver it, and most of the local towns allow residents to go get free sand/salt mixture from their highway department for free.

He mentioned occasions where the fire department had visited the house and almost broke the front door down for related reasons (which I certainly would not want).