@Mike Bonadies...Cash flow properties in a house hack are tough due to the lower cap rate in the DC Metro. 

The main 1st duplex has been painted on the outside, the lower level has the new windows installed, both units have brand new high effenciency furnaces and a/c, which the upstairs never had duct a/c always window units.

If I own a primary home (State A) and then buy a second home (State B) as vacation home - thousands of mile away - and eventually move to vacation home due to my job change - is it possible to covert the primary home to vacation home (refinance to get lower rate - but that won't work because primary home already got the lowest rate?)

There are so many pieces of the maintenance puzzle that can affect its efficiency.If you're not opposed to outsourcing, companies like mine offer lower cost alternatives to hiring a full-time employee and allow the cost of managing the maintenance to scale equivalently to your growth.

If he has the kind of equity he states, they shouldn't have an issue with doing this, and placing the amount owed onto the principal, and perhaps spread the loan term out to reset at 30 years, or even going to 40, which would lower his monthly payment, and lessen his burden, which is what I am guessing got him in the trouble he is in now.

So, the land comps must've come in lower than the $13K, or the other offer is being more conservative.The key is to make sure there is a demand for the land. 

This is where you can lower the price even further on them, because you have the leverage back. 

One area may be lower-priced for a good reason, but even just a few blocks away, a similar property would be a great deal. 

All the water wells are on one lower lot and could only drill 4 wells, did not want to do shared water wells as that usually means big big fights around here.

@Rena Spooner, in general terms, buying a second home a the top of the market will lower the benefit (in coming years) of having initially bought at the bottom of the market.