We originally rented out a single room in the home to house hack, but after a career change and a bug move we decided to turn the house into a single-family rental situation.

I am in the Tampa Florida area and if it were me, I would fix up the house and sell it. 

My earned income will be going towards my own house and living expenses with little left over for investing out of pocket.How did you overcome the challenge of not having enough money for your first deal?

Hey @Laura Casner, I agree with others to use the local real estate and find out what others are paying.I would call an agent and give them some specs on the house you are planning and the location and they should be able to give you some decent idea of insurance cost.I would budget a bit more for repairs and maintenance for the first year after the build.

Howdy,New to RE Investing: I am curious to know how much can one earn if one refers a money lender to a full-time house filpper.

Now that the house has been sold and we no longer have to communicate with a realtor, this behavior is worse. 

I painted the whole interior of the house repose gray from Sherwin Williams .

My husband and I purchased a 2 family house that was fully occupied with tenants, intending to live in the first floor.

As you are pointing out - the expenses will all hit at some point if you own for long enough.If you buy a house that needs a new roof and a new furnace within a year... then you need to budget for those expenses in a year. 

.- When I bought the house, I renovated the apartment and it is currently being rented out.- My question is do I do a cash out refinance or take out a HELCO (the mortgage broker I used originally advised that)?