I would think your a slam dunk at a bank.. but Visio is for real.and your smart to know that there are all sorts of fake lenders on the internet.good place to start is to see if they are licensed and then look up their license.. also dont let the tax dog wag your tail.. sometimes its best just to take your cash pay cap gains at these historic low rates then to buy something that is not going to do much for you.and if you don't get the benefit of no state income tax in Texas i would be cautious with that state prop tax's and other weather issues. 

I currently do not own a home and rent myself so I see the benefits of locally purchasing a multifamily unit to use as my primary residence and REI.

Essentially, if you do it right, you'll be able to get a house for free and then have that property produce some cash flow for you each month.

I know I should go new but that would essentially knock out all the money I had made since owning it and was hoping to start using it on cosmetic repairs.Thanks for any insight or advice!

This is precisely the benefit of having a buyer's agent. 

You have the wonderful benefit of having lived there, so that is huge. 

To them, it might be more about you denying them their essential humanity, treating them like troglodytes fresh from a life underground.

This is essentially what I have been doing, but probably less accurately since I do not have access to the MLS at this point. 

You get the tax benefits of the mortgage interest and should be able to easily beat the 5% or so mortgage interest rate you'll be charged. 3.

Essentially I start at the desired finish date and work backwards.