If you wanted to keep your up-front costs lower, how comfortable are you with putting in some sweat equity into different parts of the process? 

No Sweat.

PUT IN SOME SWEAT EQUITY AND THIS WILL BE A GREAT HOME.

I would like at least 5 year balloon at 5% 30 yrI'm still working out down payment, but also want to keep some aside to make this ugly thing prettier (paint and some other stuff ~ $3000 plus sweat).What do you think?

Go to sweat some pipes...

I know it's sleeping time over there for you guys (I am sitting here in my room sweating like a piggy in this hot and humid afternoon, haha), so anytime when you wake up and see this post, you could just write :) Looking forward to hear back from you!

I'm not willing to have negative cash flow waiting for interest rates to change, but I don't mind putting sweat equity in either.2017 and 2021 were obviously great times to buy homes, but is 2023 just extra challenging for an aspiring real estate investor? 

I’m not interested in being a passive investor and relying on someone else for the sweat equity.

Or a young couple, with sweat equity, who want to make it their forever home.

So while there should be a percentage of equitable contribution, sweat equity also plays a factor.